Glitching the System
by CiciVal
Summary: Ralph and Vanellope are best friends, but with a sudden upgrade for Sugar Rush comes the surfacing of new, confusing feelings. When a virus plunges the arcade into chaos and unhealthy rivalry rattles the group, they must learn to stick together when their lives depend on it. Friendships will be tested and bonds will be created; will their new blossoming love be able to flourish?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys, thanks for checking out my fanfic! This is my first thing published to this site, and to be honest I've been wanting to write a Wreck It Ralph story for quite some time now. It was all a matter of garnering some inspiration. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope you'll give this story a chance and stick around for some more chapters. I hope to update at least two or three times a week, but I also wanna stay ahead of my posts by a couple of chapters. Anyway, yes, this story is an eventual Ralph/Older!Vanellope fic. I know there's plenty of people who have written this, but to be honest I've wanted to something like this for years and just never got around to it. I decided to just do it even though some people may say it's overdone. Idk if I'll change the rating in the future, I may, but for now, I'll end this rambling and get on with the story lol. I hope you likey!**

 _ ***Disclaimer**_ : I do not own any part of Wreck It Ralph or the affiliated franchises.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Pale morning light filtered through soft, billowing curtains and cast a golden shimmer over the entire room. Against the farthest wall from the door, Vanellope lay nestled under a huge billowy blanket as she slumbered comfortably atop a massive candy-crafted bed.

She rolled over slightly in her sleep, the malleable yet sturdy marshmallow mattress easily conforming to her adjustment. As her body slowly and steadily roused itself from the tender prying claws of sleep, the young girl eagerly stretched her tired limbs and gaped open her mouth in a silent yawn.

As she began to finally roll into consciousness, her eyes blinked wearily several times before she opened them. Her surroundings quickly registered as she took them in, and startled herself awake.

With a jolt, Vanellope found herself wide awake and sitting upright in her bed. After a brief moment of startling confusion, she groaned and smacked her palm lightly against her face. "Three months into being president, Vanellope, and you _still_ aren't used to your bedroom," she muttered to herself, voice even raspier than usual from sleep.

After sliding her hand down and away from her forehead, she slid her gaze around the room in order to once again fully absorb its contents. It was still relatively plain and the same as when she first arrived. The whole castle still looked exactly the same as when "King Candy" reigned over it. Of course, she had been planning to change that, she just hadn't gotten around to it. She was still slowly acclimating herself to the new role she had been thrown into. Though she didn't let on, she still felt nervous jitters every time she stepped on to the track. She still felt a twinge of fear that sometime soon she would wake up from this fanciful dream and return to her life as the abominable glitch.

With a small frown, she shook her head, as if this action would somehow literally shake the negative thoughts from her head. She clawed gently at the soft blankets she sat on. They were thick and of course, a vivid pink color. ' _It's salmon!'_ She could practically hear King Candy hollering in his wretched screech. A small smirk alighted itself on her face as she suddenly gripped the intolerable fabric more firmly in her small fingers. With a sudden bout of carelessness, she pulled as hard as she could on the blanket, desperately trying to tear it.

However, after a few seconds of soft grunting and immense effort, she slumped over with a sigh, suddenly envying the wrecking skills Ralph inherently possessed. _I really need to get rid of this bed._ She thought to herself with a frown. _This whole castle needs an upgrade_.

The walls around her were also covered with the putrid salmon color, scattered with small multicolored sprinkles and various candies. The floor was at least bearable - the tiles gleamed a soft hue of pale honey. Although, Vanellope would admittedly prefer carpeting to the cold hard surface.

Other than her bed, the only furnishings the room held were a large pink armoire and two pink end tables on either side of her bed. After sitting and contemplating the fact that she actually wasn't living in her little nook in Coca Cola mountain.

After these silent minutes of thoughtful contemplation, Vanellope hurriedly crawled off of her gigantic bed and hopped down onto the floor. It was a Sunday, meaning Litwak's arcade was closed for the day - their one day off. _I get to hang out with Ralph!_ The realization suddenly crossed her mind and sparked a spurt of energy to shoot through her as she clumsily sprinted to her dresser. Rapidly, she changed out of her nightclothes and into her usual racing clothes.

After getting dressed and pulling her silky hair back into a high ponytail, Vanellope raced down the staircase and into the sitting room of the North wing. It was at that moment that she heard a distant knocking coming from the entrance to the castle. She hurriedly scampered through her wing, through the grand kitchen, and into the great hall. Realizing she forgot to put shoes on, she sheepishly approached the doors, wondering if it was Ralph coming to get her.

However, when she opened up the doors, she was greeted with the sight of her new three closest racer friends. Taffyta, of course, as always, stood in front of Candlehead and Rancis, bearing a beaming grin and wearing her customary gear, minus the hat. Rancis too was smiling, albeit more bashfully, and Candlehead was delicately holding a small dish with an adorable vanilla cupcake perched atop it.

With a toothy grin, Vanellope backed away and allowed her friends to step inside.

"Hey guys!" She cheerfully exclaimed. "What's up?"

"Oh, not much," Taffyta responded nonchalantly as she watched Vanellope close the door behind them and the four slowly moseyed towards the kitchen. "We just thought we'd pay you a good morning visit, that's all." A playful smirk graced her face as Candlehead stepped forward shyly.

"I-I baked you this cupcake," she stammered, a light blush covering her cheeks as she gently held the dish out towards Vanellope.

"Aw, gee, thanks Candlehead," Vanellope said with a beam, gratefully taking the plate and situating herself at one of the stools set in front of the kitchen island. She had to practically climb up into it. She eagerly dove into the delectable treat. "The best breakfast!" She exclaimed in a muffled voice through a mouthful of the dessert.

Taffyta snickered. "You're so elegant," she teased as she watched the small brunette munch on the cupcake.

Vanellope rolled her eyes and swatted playfully at the blonde as she climbed up onto the stool beside her. She swallowed another gulp while Rancis and Candlehead joined her and Taffyta at the counter. "So, what is this reeeeaaalllyy about?" She sneered as she tilted her head curiously towards the trio.

"Well," Taffyta began, casting her eyes downward in a rare moment of humble tenderness. "It's just that we're all so sorry about how we treated you back when- well, you know…" Her voice grew steadily softer towards the end of her sentence.

Vanellope's face grew softer as she listened. Before she could respond, Rancis chimed in, "We know little visits and goodies can't really fix anything but...More than anything, we just all wanna be your friends." His voice was genuine and full of concern. "I imagine how lonely you must have been all that time, it hurts to know how much pain we've caused you, even if you won't outwardly admit it."

"Aw, guys," Vanellope sighed tenderly, "It's been three months already. I've already forgiven you countless times. And you know you're all welcome here anytime you want. I've really appreciated your friendships. You don't have to keep apologizing and feeling bad." She reached her hand out to Taffyta, who was directly next to her, and gently rested it on her shoulder. "I just want things to be normal, honestly."

"After everything, it's amazing how forgiving you are," Taffyta admitted bashfully as she met Vanellope's eyes. "I can't believe you _actually_ wanna be friends with us. Especially me," she continued with a bashful manner as she gestured towards Rancis and Candlehead, saying, "I was basically the gang leader of all this. I tormented you so much."

Vanellope smirked. "I know," she conceded. "But it's okay, I promise. You'll just have to put up with my incessant teasing and horrible jokes."

The four softly laughed and shared a short moment of knowing silence. "Okay," Vanellope disrupted with a grin, "Now I'm gonna finish this delicious cupcake. Candlehead, you're a natural! You should come be my personal chef!" They all chuckled and Candlehead smiled caringly back at Vanellope as she kept her word and finished off the dessert in one swift mouthful.

Just as she was finishing up her bite, several incessantly loud knocks were heard at the front doors. "Ralph!" Vanellope's face lit up with a grin as she dusted crumbs off of her hoodie and swiftly leapt off of the stool.

Her three racer friends exchanged silent, knowing glances and Taffyta turned to look down at Vanellope. "Ooooh, _Raaalllpphhh_ ," she cooed in a sing-song voice. The immediate reaction was intensely gratifying as Vanellope's whole face turned a deep shade of crimson.

"What the sprinkles is that supposed to mean!" She choked, flailing her arms around wildly. "Ralph's my best friend! Of course I wanna hang out with him!"

"Oh, don't kid yourself, we've seen the goo-goo eyes you get when you look at him," Rancis added on, teasingly egging on the excitable racer. At this remark, Taffyta leaned her head back in a fit of raucous laughter and even Candlehead grinned sheepishly.

"C-come on guys," Vanellope stuttered, crossing her arms defensively over her chest as her face slowly returned to its normal pale color. "It isn't like that! And besides, even if I _did_ have a crush on Ralph - speaking totally hypothetically mind you - I am _way_ , way too young for him. He would never have any interest in me!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Taffyta responded with a wink, as her and the other two hopped off their stools. "We'll leave you alone with your precious wrecker." The three snickered some more amongst themselves and Vanellope rolled her eyes with a pout. However, as Taffyta passed her, she gently nudged their shoulders together and her face broke into a toothy smile.

Somewhat reluctantly, she walked with her three friends out of the kitchen and towards the front doors. "You know," she started, "you guys could join us sometime, get to know him a bit. I'm sure it would help his opinion of you to be a little less...well, sour."

"That sounds nice," Candlehead piped in, though Taffyta gave her a nervous look. "Maybe sometime after game day lets out?"

Vanellope grinned and nodded eagerly. "Great!" Of course, she could practically hear the unsaid questions hanging in the air. She knew they were all bound to be a little scared. After all, Ralph's disposition toward them wasn't exactly favorable. He still didn't believe they deserved Vanellope's forgiveness. Although somewhat annoying, she found this strangely endearing; after all, it showed just how much he cared for her. Her cheeks blushed slightly at the thought.

She eagerly opened up the front door to reveal none other than Ralph himself, who was standing and staring at the ground, absentmindedly twiddling thumbs. When he looked up and saw her he displayed his usual gap-toothed smile and she grinned back at him. "Hey Stinkbrain!"

"Hey, kid," he greeted warmly. He looked at the other three smarties lined up behind her, all three of which were giving him and Vanellope knowing smirks.

" _Hey Stinkbrain,_ " Taffyta chimed sweetly in a mocking voice as her, Rancis, and Candlehead shuffled out of the castle entrance.

"Hey, knock it off!" Vanellope choked out, her voice strained as her cheeks slowly lit up with color.

Ralph looked back at he questioningly. "What was that all about?" He pondered as Vanellope watched her three friends climb into their racing carts and take off down the long pathway from the castle.

"Uhm, nothing of course," she fibbed, turning away from him to hide the blush on her face. "Wanna come in for a minute?"

He stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him. He watched, confused, as the young girl bounded off in the opposite direction.

 _How does she even have that much energy this early in the morning?_ He wondered as he scratched his head, arching an eyebrow contemplatively before leisurely following Vanellope into the exquisite castle kitchen.

"Want any breakfast, Hamhands?" Vanellope asked eagerly as he entered. However, she was already zooming around, pulling things out of the fridge and using a stool to gain access to the appliances. "Pancakes sound good?"

"I guess it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice," he teased with an exasperated sigh. He cautiously eyed one of the stools situated on the other side of the counter she was currently working at. He didn't really want to risk sitting down and breaking something, especially considering it looked so...delicate, and ornate. For a stool, anyway. He decided against it. "Do you want any help?"

Vanellope let out a boisterous laugh. "Come on now, Ralph, really?"

"Hey," he uttered defensively with a smirk. "I know I'm a big, clumsy oaf, but I still know my way around a kitchen."

"Yeah," she continued their playful banter, " _literally_ around one, right? What, did you go and sit on someone's house?"

"Ha ha," he said with an eye roll, " _Very_ funny. You know, you should go to Tapper's some night, I bet you'd make a great stand up comedian."

Vanellope bowed down dramatically with a giggle. "Here for your entertainment." She had donned a clean apron, and it and her fingers were already dusted with flour. She straightened up, suddenly confused. "Wait, what's Tapper's?" She asked curiously.

Ralph leaned up against the opposite side of the counter. He slapped his hand over his face with a groan. "Of course!" Vanellope eyed him questioningly as she started frying pancake batter methodically. He looked back up at her and leaned his elbows on the counter, supporting his head in his hands. "I keep forgetting you've never been outside your own game. It's been three months, but I keep forgetting to take you."

Vanellope's eyes lit up instantly. "Outside Sugar Rush? I was never able to leave before the game reset - yet I've hardly even thought of it ever since." She continued cooking and let a few moments of silence trail by, only interrupted by the sizzling batter. "I guess it's partially my fault too, I've been so busy trying to accommodate myself to all that I've missed out on here, I haven't even thought about what I've missed out on out there!" She gestured with one arm outward in the general direction of Sugar Rush's exit.

Ralph smiled at his energetic friend. "Well, I guess I'll just have to take you today," he offered as she flung one last pancake on top of the already towering stack. He was surprised how fast she was able to make those things. "How many of those do you think I'm gonna eat by the way?" He chuffed jokingly.

She barely heard his last remarks, as she let out an excited squeal and jumped off the stool. "Really, Ralph, you'll take me?!" She exclaimed, zooming around the island and jumping hastily into the cuddly wrecker's arms. He let out a disgruntled _oof_ and chuckled nonetheless.

"Sure kid," he laughed, gently hugging her back. "Just let me eat these pancakes first. They've got my mouth watering already."

She leaned back and wrinkled her nose at him as she offered a toothy grin. "Sure thing, fart breath."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** **So I realize that these first couple of chapters are kinda filler-y and really fluffy and sappy, but I hope you'll just bear with me because right now I'm using it to sort of develop the plot and the setting a little bit and get a handle of the direction I'm taking this in, as well as some character development and background. Don't worry, there'll be more action-y and stuff and drama around the corner! Thanks for reading lol, I hope you enjoy!**

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I do not own anything related to Wreck It Ralph or any involved franchises. Thank you!_

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

After Ralph finished off his generous stack of pancakes, Vanellope started cleaning up her mess. Ralph stood and followed her around to the other side of the counter. He lifted her up to reach the sink and she quickly washed and dried the few dishes she had used. As she stepped onto the stool she set there previously, she reached for the bag of flour, suddenly conceiving a mischievous idea.

Ralph stared at her with a furrowed brow as a smirk quickly developed on the tiny racer's face. She reached slyly for the bag of flour, seemingly to put it away. He realized all too late that this definitely was not her real intention.

"Think fast!" She screeched, thrusting her hand deep into the paper bag and flinging a clump of soft powder all over Ralph. She dropped the bag on the counter and dove off of her stool, ready for swift retaliation.

Ralph coughed and sputtered as white powder rained down on him, covering his face and smattering all over his clothing. He shook his hands, trying to rid himself of the uncomfortable substance, to no avail.

"You dirty-haired brat!" He exclaimed, though she giggled softly from underneath the counter at his playful reaction. After hastily wiping the powder from his eyes and opening them, he grabbed the bag of powder and bent down to look Vanellope square in the eye.

"Ahck!" She screamed, scrambling out from underneath the counter and racing through the kitchen.

"Oh no you don't!" He hollered after her as he took off in pursuit of the dark-haired smartie. He chased her through the kitchen and down the long hallway towards the North wing, flour bag still clutched tightly in his hand.

She quickly skidded around a corner, and he followed, noisily bumping his hand against the wall in attempts to keep up. _These sharp turns are definitely not my forte,_ he thought with a grunt as he rubbed the side of his head. Nevertheless, he continued after her, and they eventually came upon the sitting room of her wing. He had never actually been past the kitchen area before.

Everything in the castle gleamed a putrid, obnoxious pink shade; sure, there was an obvious variation in the hue, but it was definitely all _pink_.

He lost sight of her all of a sudden, and stopped in the center of the room, scratching his head as he looked around curiously. Four long couches surrounded him, looking soft and inviting despite their horrid color. The hideous rug felt comfortable and fluffy beneath his bare feet, and the giant glass sliding doors that opened up to a beautiful garden/pool area let in a copious amount of Sugar Rush's gleaming golden rays of sunlight.

Just as he was about to venture into another room to go look for Vanellope, he heard soft giggling coming from somewhere behind him. He turned around and looked down at the sofa he was now facing. " _Hey Stinkbrain!_ " He heard her whisper; yep, it was definitely coming from behind that couch.

Placing his hands on his hips, he stared at the sofa with a small smirk and raised one of his eyebrows. After waiting there a few moments, he began moving towards it. The giggling grew gradually more noticeable as he quietly approached her from the other side of the couch. Finally, he grew close enough to see over it, and just as he predicted, she sat curled up against it's back, trying to muffle her laughter with her hand.

"Gotcha!" He exclaimed, swiftly shooting his hand out and grabbing her by the collar of her green hoodie. He held her out in front of him, smirking victoriously.

"Hey," she giggled, "That's not fair!"

"Oh, yes, it is totally fair," he responded, holding back a chuckle. "You got flour all over my _nice, presentable_ clothes. I deserve some form of retribution."

"Presentable?" She snorted. "Haven't I told you already that you're dressed like a hobo?"

"Well, that's just the last straw," he gasped in mock offense. "Time to taste your own medicine." In one fast movement, he dumped the entire contents of the flour bag over the top of her head.

She struggled against his grip, laughing still, as chunks of flour came crumbling down on her and covering her entire body in its contents. "Hey, isn't that a little overkill?" She sputtered through a mouthful of powder. "I barely even got any on you!"

He gently set her down and finally allowed himself to laugh boisterously at the charming sight. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, not opening her eyes in fear of getting the powder in them. "Hey, stop laughing at me! I can't even see anything cause of all this stupid flour!"

He wiped away a tear before straightening up and smiling down at her. "Alright, come on dork, let's get you cleaned up." He pulled her up onto his shoulder and moseyed back into the kitchen.

After throwing away the now empty bag of flour (To which she commented, "Hey, you owe me a bag of flour now, dumbo!"), he set Vanellope down on the counter and dampened a plain rag. Gently, he lifted it towards her, cleaning the powder from her eyes first before wiping it off the rest of her face. She glared at him, pretending to be upset, though her hazel eyes held a playful glint.

"Alright now," she barked, swatting his hand away with a grin, "Now I have to go shake out these clothes because of you. I'll be back, ya big stupid idiot."

Ralph rolled his eyes and let out a snort as he backed away to let her leap off the counter and watched her bolt right out of the room.

* * *

Vanellope hurried upstairs into her bedroom, heart racing slightly. She couldn't help but doubt that it was only her running that caused it. _Maybe Taffyta and them are right,_ she wondered, a soft blush arising to the skin on her cheeks. _Maybe I have got it bad_. She let out a sigh, closing the door to her room and retiring to her bathroom.

She just barely came up to the top of the counter, meaning she had to glitch herself up to sit down on it and look at herself in the mirror. She frowned at what she saw, and it wasn't the flour coating her clothes, though she wasn't happy about that either. She let out a soft sigh, suddenly finding herself wishing she was older.

 _I need to get these ridiculous ooey-gooey crush feelings out of my brain. Anything between me and Ralph would be plain wrong - disgusting, even. I'm just a child._

She let her out of its ponytail and rinsed the flour out in the sink. _It's just a harmless crush, nothing more. I don't even understand fully what a crush is_ , she mused in her head, trying to quickly wash all of the powder from her silky black hair. _He's my best friend, the first person to ever show some care towards me; of course I'm so attached. It's probably nothing._

Yet she found herself sighing again. She ran her hands through her hair and gathered it back up into it's usual high pony.

Then she went through the process of taking off all her clothes and vigorously shaking them over the sink to attempt getting rid of all the flour. When she had gotten most of it off, she dusted the stubborn bits remaining and redressed herself. She took another long look in the mirror, beginning to feel slightly nervous and deflated. After a few moments, she tore her stare away and leapt off the counter. _Come on, Vanellope, you're being ridiculous,_ she thought. Slower than she had entered her room, she carefully walked back down the staircase, a sudden and new queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

Ralph was waiting for Vanellope in the kitchen when she came traipsing in. She looked much more subdued than normal, and when he looked at her she seemed to avoid eye contact. He wondered just what was eating away at the small gamer.

"Hey, kid," he said gently. She looked up at him as she came to a halt in front of him. "Why the long face all of a sudden? What's up?"

She looked away, warmth spreading involuntarily across her cheeks. "Uh, it's nothing, Ralph. I'm just tired I guess. And still not used to all these new surroundings," she fibbed. _Well, it's not entirely a lie._ From the relieved look on his face, he apparently believed her.

"Alright, well, come on. I'm sure a trip outside Sugar Rush will cheer you up," he said, giving her a small smile. Suddenly, she perked up and met his gaze, beaming up at him.

"You got it, Stinkbrain," she said, wrinkling her nose and skipping off ahead of him.

He shook his head almost disbelievingly at the silly mood swings of this crazy gamer. He followed her quickly towards the great hall and found her already waiting impatiently for him at the doors. "Could you walk any slower, meathead?" She teased, putting a hand on her hip as the other gripped the door handle.

Ralph rolled his eyes at her snarky comment and decided not to retaliate as he approached her. Her playful sneer turned into a grin as she opened up the door and glitched herself in a whirl of blue pixels and code on top of Ralph's shoulder. He looked at her with a smile from the corner of his eye and the two exited the castle.

Vanellope showed no remaining signs of her prior momentary bout of broodiness on their long walk down the winding pathway from the castle. Her and Ralph made playful, idle chatter and teased each other relentlessly, as per the norm. She let out a few sarcastic remarks about how they should've just taken her cart, to which he told her she wasn't even doing any work, sitting perched on his shoulder.

After about twenty or so minutes of walking along the path, they finally reached the bottom and stared ahead at the long expanse of space they still had to cover before even reaching the rainbow road that led into Sugar Rush's entrance. Ralph sighed and shook his head. "Okay," he admitted reluctantly, "We should've taken your cart."

Vanellope let out a snarky, yet bright burst of laughter and comfortably settled herself into the crook between his neck and shoulder. "Sucks for you, Wreck-It."

"Okay," he grumbled, picking up his pace once again as he began the trek towards the exit. "You've spent too much time around Calhoun or something."

"I've only seen her a handful of times since the reset!" She protested with a giggle.

"Apparently a handful too much," Ralph grumbled back.

"What, you don't like being called Wreck-It, Wreck-It?" She teased as her laughter grew even heavier and she slumped further against his neck.

Ralph groaned and tossed his hands up in the air, jostling her slightly. "Hey, watch it!" She complained, re-situating herself. "You've got important cargo over here, buddy!"

"Riiiiiggghhhtt," he drawled with a snicker. "Important. I guess I can't go through with that nesquik sand plan then," he fibbed.

"Hey!" She protested, gently knocking her fist against his skull. "You better watch it, Wreck-It, it's the President of Sugar Rush you're talking to!"

"Ooh, what are you gonna do, candy-coat me?" He chortled.

The time it took to get to the top of the rainbow road seemed to go by much faster than expected, as the two kept up with their easy banter, and Vanellope hopped down from Ralph's shoulder. "I wanna be able to step outside by myself," she explained as he looked at her curiously. She watched as he effortlessly stepped outside the Sugar Rush boundary before her, then turned to witness her do the same.

Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and tucked her hands underneath her chin. It felt as if the whole world went silent, and time slowed down so all she could hear was the slow pounding of her own heartbeat in her ear.

Carefully, she took the few steps necessary to cross the Sugar Rush border and opened her eyes slowly. Ralph was smiling down at her intently, and she let a victorious grin slowly spread across her face.

"I did it, Ralph, can you believe it?!" She exclaimed cheerfully, bounding around him in energetic circles as she let out several excited shrieks. She grabbed a large finger on each of his hands and she came back around in front of him, tugging on them urgently. "Come on, come on slowpoke!" She rushed, as she turned back around and nearly took off running.

"Hang on a minute there," he chuckled, quickly grabbing her hood to stop her and whirl her around. "Wrong way, smartie."

Completely unphased, Vanellope smirked and took off sprinting through the exit. Ralph let out an amused sigh and followed after her. A sleek, modern looking monorail awaited them, very much unlike the rickety old thing that took him in and out of his game. Excitedly, Vanellope practically launched herself inside the vehicle, with Ralph hurriedly pushing himself in after her. He settled himself down on a comfortable seat, patting the spot next to him as a cue for her to join him. But she shook her head fiercely with a grin, instead opting to bounce up and down in place, clinging onto one of the support poles.

Ralph rolled his eyes, but found himself smiling fondly at the eager racer in front of him. He felt a sudden swell of care in his heart as he watched her eagerly gaze around the otherwise empty monorail.

As it finally started moving, he snorted softly to see the surprised and confused expression on Vanellope's face when the sudden motion lightly jolted her and caused her to sway. She quickly steadied herself, however, and clung tighter to the pole. She looked away from him, but not before he noticed a bashful glowing upon her cheeks. It was somewhat endearing to see this normally spunky and rambunctious little racer suddenly seem so bashful and reserved.

"Not quite like driving a race car, is it?" He prodded teasingly. She looked at him in alarm with widened eyes, her blush growing deeper before she faintly smiled and shook her head, clearly bewildered and out of her element in this simple, yet brand new experience.

They zoomed through the wires and Vanellope found herself staring out the windows of the fast-moving vehicle, completely mystified. She had never known a world outside of her beloved Sugar Rush; every new thing she glimpsed gave her a feeling of wonder and awe.

As they lurched to a stop at Game Central Station, and the doors all opened, Ralph gently guided her off. She stood in silence, staring ahead of her in contemplation. He waited patiently for her to gather courage, or readiness, or whatever it was she needed, before they slowly walked away from their ride and out through the outlet.

As they emerged into the station itself, Ralph eagerly gazed down at Vanellope to witness her reaction.

"Woah," she breathed, staring around at all the gamers milling about. She let her gaze flit wildly about as her coded tried to process all of this sudden, intense streaming of information. She stared at the neon colored games signs, the people bustling about, and even back up at Ralph.

He chuckled and gave her a gap-toothed grin. "You like?"

"Holy sprinkles, yes!" She exclaimed, running out a few feet ahead of him and stopping once again, her shiny ponytail flicking back and forth as she moved. He slowly moseyed up behind her, trying to hold back more laughter as her entire being lit up with eager anticipation. She whirled around to face him clutching both hands over her chest in an excited manner. Her eyes literally sparkled and her toothy smile stretched broader than ever. "Where are we going now?" she urged, rocking back and forth on her heels. It was like her circuit was racing with entirely new code, buzzing and twitching until she literally started glitching uncontrollably.

"Uh, I actually don't know," he admitted sheepishly. "I didn't really plan any of this out to be honest." He quickly looked around the station, not wanting to let the young gamer down. "It's pretty early, so I don't know about going to Tapper's just yet. But I can show you-"

"Ooh, Ralph, I know!" She proclaimed, cutting him off mid sentence with no restraint. He gave her a playfully annoyed look and raised an eyebrow. "I wanna see your game," she said more softly, as if she realized her terrible manners.

"If you had waited a few seconds and listened," he gently yet jokingly chided, "That's exactly what I was about to suggest."

She looked slightly embarrassed, but sheepishly grinned and nodded all the same. _What's up with her and suddenly acting so...I don't know...bashful?_ Ralph wondered curiously. _Maybe it's all in my head, but she's acting so strange._

"Alright, this way," he told her, scooping her back up and putting her back on his shoulder. He figured it would be easier than trying to herd her in the right direction. Her software seemed perfectly frazzled by all the incoming information.

He confidently ambled towards his own game's outlet, the bright lights above shining "Fix It Felix, Jr." for all to see. His stride was steady and sure. Vanellope sat eagerly, gazing at the sign and peering into the dark outlet to see if she could get any sort of glimpse at what was waiting. She couldn't.

As usual, as soon as Ralph stepped through the socket, a familiar buzzing noise sounded and Surge's blue hologram-like figure appeared before them. He stared absently at his clipboard.

"Ugh," Ralph groaned, "I guess you at least didn't stop me on my way out of Sugar Rush."

"Name, where you came from, where you're headed," Surge droned, ignoring Ralph completely.

Before Ralph had time to respond, Vanellope chimed in cheerily, her bright and bubbly voice causing Surge to actually look up. "I am President Vanellope Von Schweetz," she introduced with a flourish, bowing slightly from her perch. Surge stared up at her, dumbfounded. "And this is my trusty oaf, Ralph. We just came from my wonderful kingdom, Sugar Rush, and are headed to his...well, I don't know what it is yet, but Fix It Felix, Jr."

Ralph rolled his eyes with a smile at her dramatic and long winded explanation. Surge eyed them somewhat curiously before writing something on his clipboard and nodding. The pair made their way through the outlet and came face to face with rickety blue train cars that would take them into Ralph's game.

Vanellope glitched down from Ralph's shoulders and nearly doubled over laughing. "You mean….to tell….me," she gasped out fragments between bouts of laughter. Ralph sighed and crossed his arms, rolling his eyes at the spectacle. _If I could count how many times I roll my eyes around this kid_. She still continued, "While my game...has a monorail….you ride around...in this?" She finally wheezed out the last of her question.

"Yeah, yeah," he chuffed, gently pushing her into one of the carts before settling in the one behind it. "Come on, Miss Goody-Goody, finish polishing your tiara and let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** **So I realized sometime while writing this, that at the end of the movie, during Calhoun and Felix's wedding, Vanellope was there. Meaning she has already been outside of Sugar Rush and apparently into Hero's Duty. Buuttt, for the sake of this story, let's just try and overlook that fact, mkay? 'xD**

 **Thanks lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! (Also reviews would be appreciated xD I would love to hear any ideas/feedback. If you even have suggestions about what you think would make it more interesting or how I could better my writing, I'm open to hear it! :D ) ~**

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Wreck It Ralph or any of the involved franchises. Thank you!_

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

As the small rickety carts pulled slowly into the stop at Fix It Felix, Jr., Vanellope was practically hopping up and down. With a sigh, Ralph pulled himself out of his cart and helped her do the same.

"Wow, Ralph," she cooed in wonder. "This place is so. Cool!" She let out a small squeal and started running circles around the large wrecker. He rolled his eyes, placing his hands on his hips in an exasperated manner, but letting a small smile grace his lips.

"Nah, you're just saying that cause this is the first game you've seen outside of your own," he chuffed, "Besides, we've barely even set foot inside! Come on, runt, let's go." He picked Vanellope up gently by her hood and held her comfortably in the crook of his elbow.

The pair walked away from the station and towards the small neighborhood of houses that Ralph, Felix, and the Nicelanders had put together for him and the unplugged gamers. "So, kiddo, where you wanna go first? My house, or-"

Vanellope eagerly cut him off, "Ooh, ooh! Your house, your house!" She smirked with a snicker and looked up at him lovingly. "I wanna see where this big lug of a wrecker rests his head."

Ralph shook his head at her and smiled back. "Fine, fine, my house it is." He veered off the road that led to the Nicelander building, and set his feet on the course to his abode. It was the first house they came upon, situated at the front of the line of homes on the left. He gestured to it broadly with the hand he wasn't carrying her in. "Not too shabby, eh? Built it myself." He then gestured his thumb to his chest in a joking manner.

"Did you, really?" Vanellope sneered, narrowing her eyes playfully.

"No," Ralph scoffed. "Have you seen me? Felix did all this. _My_ product is over there." He pointed over to Qbert's small shack-like place. "Not the prettiest, I know. But at least it's structurally sound- er, I think."

Vanellope smiled and her gaze softened as she looked at Ralph's handiwork. "Hey, I like it," she told him earnestly, turning her stare back up to him with a toothy smile.

He shrugged bashfully and smiled. "Well, thanks kid, but it's nothing really." He turned back towards his own house. "Anyway, wanna see my place or what?" Vanellope grinned and nodded eagerly as he continued approaching his front door.

She noticed it must have been built with Ralph specifically in mind. It looked a bit bigger than the rest of the houses lined up, particularly the doorway. He opened up the mahogany stained door, and entered the house, the tips of his messy auburn hair just barely scraping against the top of the arch. He reached over to the left and flicked a light switch on the wall.

As the warm lights filled his cozy home with a soft glow, he set Vanellope down on the ground beside him. He approached the rounded window to their left and pulled apart the curtains to allow more natural light to filter into the room. "Well," he asked, "What do you think?"

The cozy living room had deep brown hardwood floors that appeared slightly distressed and the walls were painted a deep, royal blue. Two cozy loveseats and one armchair of a subdued lime green shade were settled around an unlit fireplace and a rectangular rug of the same color. Vanellope smiled at the comfy looking room she stood in. "It's really nice, Ralph," she complimented. She made her way over to one of the sofas and climbed up into it, relaxing against its back. Closing her eyes, she let out a satisfied sigh. "This is soooooo comfy."

He smirked and traipsed over to where she sat, looking down at her. "You tired, Miss Schweetz?"

She opened one eye and grinned up at him. "Of course not, Stinkbrain. When am I ever tired?"

He scoffed and shook his head before walking away towards the archway that led out to the kitchen and dining area. These rooms, which were side by side, also held lovely hues of dark blue and green, with the same hardwood flooring and charming lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The kitchen had sleek, steel appliances and the kitchen countertops were made from dark gray granite. He moseyed over to the fridge and rummaged through its contents before pulling out a carton of orange juice. Carefully, he found two glasses, setting them down on the counter beside the carton before realizing with a huff he had nothing but Ralph-sized drinkware. _Maybe I should get some things from the Niceland building to bring over here_ , he pondered. _Oh well._ He shrugged and poured a glass of the cold beverage for him and Vanellope each.

Just as he picked them up, Vanellope finally ambled into the dining room. He looked over at her and brought the glasses to the table. It was made of mahogany stained wood much like the front door and the accents throughout the house, with a simple green tablecloth draped down the center. Vanellope eagerly glitched herself up onto the chair where Ralph had set the glass then stared at the cup in shock. "Uhm, Ralph, how exactly do you expect me to drink from this?" Nevertheless, she climbed up onto the table itself and contemplated how she would drink from something nearly the size of her.

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly before having a sudden realization, which was that he really was an idiot. "I'll get you a straw," he mumbled, turning away and going back to the kitchen to rummage around for one.

When he returned, she stared at him with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, swinging her legs out in front of her as she still sat on top of the table. Ralph frowned, sticking the straw into her drink. "People eat on there, you know."

"People?" Vanellope questioned. "Or just you?"

"Hey," he protested, "I have other friends too, y'know."

She snickered before taking the straw in her mouth and drinking a large gulp of orange juice. Ralph sat down at the table across from her and drank his own glass. They sat in relative silence, comfortable for once with the lack of words. Well, Ralph reckoned he was always comfortable with the silence.

After a few minutes of drinking their juice and making small chatter here and there, Ralph heard a set of soft, polite knocks at his front door. "Who could that be?" He wondered aloud, standing up somewhat clumsily and heading to the door. He opened it up to reveal Felix and Calhoun, the latter of which had her fist poised to knock on the door again - her knocking would not likely sound so polite.

"Woah, woah, there Calhoun," Ralph said, holding his hands up. "Don't hit _me_ , now." She brought her hand back down to her side somewhat sheepishly. Ralph looked down to his brother. "What's up, Felix?"

"Oh, not much, really," he replied, his voice cheery and friendly. "We just wanted to know if you wanted to come hang out with us over at the Niceland building."

Ralph smiled. "Sure. Hang on, I've got Vanellope with me too. It's her first time outside her game. I'm sure she'd like that."

Felix grinned and nodded. "That's great Ralph, we'd love to have her join us!"

Ralph retreated into the dining room, where Vanellope had just finished up her orange juice. "You know, I still never saw your bedroom!" She chimed, practically leaping off the table. Ralph flinched, wondering how she could so effortlessly jump down from such a height without getting hurt.

"Well, I don't think that's necessary, kid," Ralph chuckled. "Come on, let's go over to the Niceland building. Felix and Calhoun are here."

Vanellope's eyes brightened. "Really?" Over the course of the past few months, she had grown very fond of the two other gamers; she particularly had a sort of admiration for Calhoun herself. The way she held herself with pride and dignity and kept a no-nonsense sort of attitude inspired her. Yet those rare moments she let her guard down around her friends, especially Felix, were nice too.

The four gamers made their way away from Ralph's cozy home and wandered over to the Niceland Building itself. "You know," Calhoun started, glancing at Vanellope as they walked through the glass front doors. "You could come pay a visit to Hero's Duty one of these days. We could all hang out over at my place. Although, I admit, even I don't care to spend too much time around there."

Her, Felix, and Ralph all chuckled while Vanellope looked around at the three, confused. "Why's that? What's so wrong with Hero's Duty?" She snorted and exchanged a knowing look with Ralph. "Besides the name, that is."

Calhoun rolled her eyes at the racer's antics. The four crammed themselves into the building's elevator, Ralph having to bend over slightly. "Why didn't we just take the stairs," he mumbled underneath his breath. Vanellope looked at him with a giggle and he shook his head exasperatedly.

"Well," Calhoun began in response to her question. "Let's just say it doesn't exactly have the most pleasant atmosphere. I'm sure you remember those filthy Cybugs, right?"

Vanellope seemed to suddenly realize the implications."Ohhhh," she vocalized. "Those bugs came from your game!"

"That's right, soldier," Calhoun validated. The elevator finally beeped, letting them know they reached the top floor. They all shuffled carefully out and stepping into the penthouse.

"This place is pretty neat," Vanellope cooed in adoration. "Hey, these stools are a little more me-sized," she noticed with a goofy smirk. She bounded over to the bar and jumped up into a seat.

"That's because the _Nicelanders_ are a bit more you-sized," Ralph teased, walking over to the counter with Felix and Calhoun. "You know, you'd think by now we could make this place a little bigger. Some things in here, like the ceiling, you know? They need to be a little more _Ralph-sized._ "

The group of friends continued to make easy conversation and Vanellope chatted with them about all the new things she was experiencing in her game; she talked about how the racers were treating her now and what it was like running the kingdom.

"Sour Bill helps me out a lot with the duties," she admitted, though stealing another glance towards Ralph at her choice of words. "But I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. It doesn't take much," she said humbly. "Mostly I just give these speeches at the beginning of roster races, and I deal with some of the issues the candy citizens bring up to me. But other than that, I"ve just got to do weekly checkups in the code room to make sure everything is running okay and there are no viruses."

Even though Ralph knew she was very capable, considering it was all programmed into her code, he still marvelled a little bit sometimes at how such a young and naive gamer could hold such huge responsibility and still manage to keep a cool outlook. He knew if he was thrusted into such a position after living the kind of life she did, he would not be able to handle it.

The four of them continued to chat in a lively manner, and hung out together in the penthouse for a couple of hours before Vanellope started pestering Ralph to take her somewhere new. Finally, he gave in and asked her where she wanted to go.

"Well," she told him, looking a little bashful. "Can I see the place you used to live? You know, before all this?" He blinked in surprise and looked down at her curiously.

"Sure," he said slowly, "I guess. There's not much to really see though."

Her face brightened. "That's okay. Come on, Ralph, let's go." She grabbed onto his large hand and tried pulling him towards the door. "Seeya later guys!" She called out as Ralph hurried after her.

Felix and Calhoun watched the spectacle, slightly amused.

"Well, jimminy jamminy," he said to his wife as the two exited. "I'd say that young girl has-"

"A crush on Ralph?" Calhoun finished sharply, locking eyes with her husband with a knowing glance.

"Well, I mean…" Felix trailed off, trying to look for another way to put it. "I was going to say, well, I don't know what I was going to say."

"Poor Ralph," Calhoun chortled, taking another sip from her frosted glass of water. "Once he figures it out, things are going to get _reaaall_ interesting."

"Real awkward, more like it," Felix added with a furrowed brow, staring at the counter as he clutched his drink in both hands.

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine Fix it," Calhoun soothed with an oddly soft voice. "It's probably nothing more than a girly little crush. She just looks up to him, and he is her first and best friend after all. It'll go away sooner or later."

* * *

Ralph and Vanellope stood at the bottom of the old pile of bricks he used to call home. A good chunk of them, at least half, were gone now after using them to put together the community of houses below. He explained this to her carefully as he watched her eagerly gaze over the still tall mound of bricks and wreckage. Of course, after three months of gaming and wrecking probably more than ever, the pile was slowly building back up to what it used to be. He figured they should probably find something to do with all the bricks.

"Alright now," he told her. "Let me carry you up from here. The way up is pretty difficult." She opened her mouth as if she was about to protest, but when he gave her a stern look, she closed it again and nodded. He picked the young girl up and lifted her up into the crook of his arm.

Slowly and carefully, he climbed his way up the hill of bricks, clutching Vanellope tightly in his arm. "Hey!" She lightly protested with a cough. "Don't suffocate me!" She squirmed a little to try and situate herself more comfortably. Ralph just grunted in response.

He finally made it to the top of his old mound. There it was - the infamous stump, still in tact. In fact, there was still a Ralph-shaped indent in the bricks where he used to sleep. Vanellope glitched herself out of his grip and walked slowly over to said indent. He noticed her shoulders hunch over slightly as she examined his old home.

He walked up behind her sheepishly, scratching the back of his head and averting his eyes.

"Ralph," she said softly. "I can't believe they used to make you sleep here." She turned around and looked up at him, her eyes tender and slightly moist. He chuckled softly in response and finally moved his eyes to meet hers. "This is ridiculous!" She said, her voice getting a little louder as she gestured wildly around her. "You don't deserve to be treated like this! You may be a Stinkbrain, but you're the s-sweetest, most honest and open-hearted Stinkbrain I've ever seen!"

Ralph stared down at the now angry smartie in humble surprise. "It's okay Vanellope," he urged. "It's all in the past. Besides, it wasn't as bad as it looks. I just, covered myself up with bricks when it got cold." Her brow furrowed and he realized that didn't exactly make anything sound better. "Everything that happened," he continued, his voice firmer, "Doesn't matter anymore. The Nicelanders accept me, and I have friends. And a house. So don't you worry about me." He knelt down in front of her and tenderly brushed a tear that escaped down her cheek. She sniffled and looked up at him earnestly. "I can take care of myself just fine. Just as long as I don't go wrecking my own home."

Vanellope smiled up at him through watery eyes and sniffed, wiping her nose unceremoniously on her sleeve. "Okay, Stinkbrain." She paused, taking in a deep breath. "But just like I offered before, if anyone gives you trouble, you're always welcome in Sugar Rush. You could have your very own wing." She looked down at the ground bashfully before saying the next part. "It gets a little lonely in there sometimes."

Ralph chuckled softly and smiled at the adorable kid in front of him. "I'm sorry, Vanellope, but my game needs me. And I'll be just fine. Nobody treats me like they used to. And besides, I'm sure you could have one of your racer friends stay up at the castle with you."

"I thought you didn't like them," Vanellope teased with a smirk.

"I don't," he conceded. "I still haven't seen them prove themselves."

"Well, maybe you should hang out with them sometime. They really have changed, you know," she replied earnestly. "Now you understand how I feel about you staying here."

He sighed and looked down. "I guess so. I just don't know how eager I am to hang out with a bunch of shorties."

"Hey you hang out with Felix," she kidded back. "Though Felix is definitely more mature than the Sugar Rush gang."

"Well he's also not a child," Ralph shooted back playfully.

"Hey!" Vanellope giggled, swatting him lightly on his head. "Now come on, no more sap. We've still got more exploring to do."

He rolled his eyes with a gap-toothed grin and stood up, allowing her to climb back into his elbow. "Fine, kid. Let's go."

* * *

After exiting Fix It Felix, Jr., the two headed over to the next place Ralph could think of: Tapper's. On the walk there through Grand Central Station, Vanellope looked just as mystified and amazed as the first time. Ralph watched her curiously as she shamelessly ogled everything and everyone they passed by. He worried that if he let her off his shoulders she would get lost in the sea of gamers.

Once they set foot in Tapper's, the strong scent of root beer and other alcoholic beverages immediately hit their senses. For a moment Ralph wondered at his logic of taking a little kid to a place like this.

He moseyed over to the counter where Tapper was standing, cleaning off one of the empty mugs as usual. With a smile and small wave, he sat down in front of him and Vanellope eagerly bounced down onto the counter.

"Hey Ralph," Tapper greeted in a friendly manner. He looked at Vanellope. "President Vanellope, I assume? Ralph's told me a lot about you," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh really?" Vanellope asked slyly with a grin. She held out a hand to shake and Tapper firmly grasped it. "Mr. Tapper, I assume?" Ralph rolled his eyes at the sight and chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed.

After they exchanged some small chit-chat, he asked them what they'd like to drink and Ralph ordered two root beers. Of course, they got them in practically a moment's time and Vanellope eagerly started sipping away at her drink.

"Wow!" She exclaimed. "We don't have anything like this in Sugar Rush!"

Ralph chortled. "I bet you don't!"

The two shared a playful glance and returned to drinking their root beers. Tapper left to serve some of his other customers, and they continued making idle talk as Vanellope took in the relaxing atmosphere.

Smooth jazz played in the background on an old jukebox machine. When Vanellope noticed the music, she visibly perked up and strained to listen to it. "Much different from the music in your game, I reckon," Ralph teased.

"Yeeeaahh," she said slowly, a smile spreading across her face. "I like it!" Ralph bit back a playful laugh and shook his head in bewilderment. It was somewhat refreshing to watch her absorb all these new surroundings. It kinda gave him a newfound appreciation for them.

She sat back down on the counter and continued sipping her drink as they remained in contemplative silence. Finally, she interrupted the lack of sound and gazed up at him earnestly. "Thanks for all this, Ralph."

He chuckled. "Oh, it's really nothing, kid. I'm sure you'll get used to it in no time."

Vanellope furrowed her brow. "Don't get me wrong," she continued, "I love my game. But...I've never been able to leave before, and...it's been really fun being able to see all this. I really appreciate it."

Ralph raised an eyebrow and looked at her curiously before smiling warmly. "You're welcome, kid."


	4. Chapter 4

_***Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to Wreck It Ralph or any of the involved franchises. Thank you! And enjoy ~ ;3_

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

Vanellope tossed and turned underneath her blankets, slowly coming into consciousness. She felt something stiff and crinkly wrapped around her and wrinkled her nose at the sensation. She stretched out her tired limbs, and felt a bout of confusion when the material fell away and the cold air hit her.

Shivering slightly, she forced herself to open her heavy eyes and push herself up to a sitting position. It was then that she noticed the difference in the the texture of her mattress. She looked down with a start; she was sitting on the familiar dessert sponge she had slept on for almost fifteen years.

With a yelp, she leapt up out of the makeshift bed, and sure enough, several candy wrappers floated softly to the ground. Her heart thudded rapidly in her head. She clawed at her hair desperately. The world spun in a dazzled haze and her eyes fogged up with oncoming tears.

She tried her best to get it together but her breathing became labored and every step she tried to take made her feel as if she would crumble. The ground beneath her looked oddly fuzzy and so did all the distant surroundings. She struggled to find her way to the exit of her secret little hideout.

 _This can't be happening. This can't be happening._ She finally managed to gather her senses enough to walk faster towards the wall. Everything around her seemed to drown out as the frantic thoughts echoed around her brain. _Please don't tell me this has all just been a dream._ She pushed herself out of the Diet Cola Mountain and looked around eagerly.

The air was still and silent. A shiver rolled up her spine and she gulped a lump down her throat. She shakily drew a hand up to her face, feeling the moisture on her cheeks and chin. She tried to wipe it away but they just kept coming and she couldn't halt the flow of tears. "R-Ralph?" She called out shakily, her voice barely above a whisper. The first name that came to her was the only thing she could think of. _Is this some sort of sick prank?_ "Ralph?" she called out again, this time her voice reached about normal speaking volume. "Ralph!" She called out louder still, repeating his name over and over again until she was screaming at the top of her lungs, "Ralph! Ralph!"

Her screams turned into loud sobs as she sunk down to her knees and thrust her face into her hands, choking on heavy bursts of sadness as despair seemed to clog all of her artifices. Her blood felt cold and numb. The world around her locked her down in her own little world of defeat. _It was all a dream,_ a strange voice inside told her, _you were never good enough to be a real gamer, and you never will._ Her whole body shook and she gagged on what felt like vomit rising up her throat. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Oh, Vanellope! Vanellope?"

 _Taffyta?_ Vanellope scuffled to her feet and did her best to wipe the tears and snot off her face with her hoodie sleeve. _Taffyta!_

She scurried towards the voice as fast as her little legs would carry her, and soon reached a very familiar clearing. There all the racers of Sugar Rush were gathered. At the front was the familiar trio: Taffyta, Candlehead, and Rancis. They all had mischievous smirks plastered on their faces. _Please just let this be a sick joke. Or maybe I sleepwalked, or something. Anything._

"Taffyta!" She cried out, launching herself at her friend in a tight hug. It lasted about a millisecond before she was viciously thrust away.

"Ewww!" Taffyta screeched, hurriedly rubbing and dusting off her clothing as if something distasteful spilled on it. "The Glitch _touched_ me!"

Vanellope fell back in the dirt, her hands out behind her to catch her fall. She stared up at the blonde in horror, eyes wide and bottom lip trembling. The whole group started laughing raucously, taunting and teasing relentlessly as they slowly closed the circle in on her. Closer and closer they grew, readying their legs and arms in menacing positions. Their voices and laughter all drowned out as Vanellope helplessly huddled over herself in a protective manner. She tried desperately to glitch herself away, but to no avail. She seemed to have lost her ability.

She braced herself for the attack.

" _Vanellope?"_ Everything seemed to still and the world grew silent as she heard a soft, familiar voice calling out to her. " _Vanellope?"_ The voice grew slightly louder. "Vanellope, calm down!" She felt her body and the world begin to fall away. Opening her eyes, she saw darkness. "Vanellope, wake up!"

Bolting upright in her bed, she immediately felt breathless and gasped for air. She felt sticky tears covering her face and the sheets around her felt wet with sweat. "Vanellope, it's okay, it was just a dream."

She felt monstrously large hands gather her up and looked up to see none other than her favorite wrecker. "R-Ralph?" She questioned, feeling vulnerable and weak.

"It's me, kid," he whispered tenderly. He held her against his broad chest, hushing her gently as she started releasing the last of her tears. "Hey, it's okay now, you're fine. Look, you've made my shirt all damp," he teased gently.

Vanellope looked up at him with wide eyes then slowly smiled and wiped at her damp face with her arm. She wasn't wearing her hoodie, just the simple tank top and sweat pants she normally wore to bed. He rolled his eyes at her before holding her up to his sleeve to use that for her face.

After drying off her tears to the best of her ability, she suddenly remembered where she was, and the awful nightmare she had awoken from. "Wait, Ralph, w-why are you even here?" She stammered questioningly.

"Well, uhm, you kinda...missed game day…" He told her sheepishly.

"What?!" She bolted upright in an instant, accidentally glitching out of his grip. She fell backwards on the bed with an "oof!" before straightening herself back up again. "I missed game day and nobody came and got me?!"

"Well, those three brats, Taffy head and the weird blonde kid, I don't know their names...Anyway, they came to Fix It Felix, Jr. after game day ended and told me that you didn't show up so they had to put someone in your place last minute. And well, the door to your bedroom was locked, so…" He looked away sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

Vanellope turned to look towards her bedroom door, which, well, wasn't there anymore. It was in a jumbled mess on the floor down the hallway. "So you had to come wreck it?" She asked blandly, though she looked at him with a toothy grin.

"Well, yeah," he admitted, avoiding her stare. "They were real worried about you. And, when I found out you missed all of the game day, I was too. So I came up here to see what was going on. And it looked like you were having some sort of terrible nightmare," he conceded, looking down at her again with eyes full of concern.

"Oh, that...yeah, it's okay, it was nothing," she mumbled, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

"It sure didn't look like nothing," Ralph chuckled. He waited through a few moments of silence and Vanellope bit her lip and looked away, crossing her arms. "Hey," he eased, "What's the matter? You can tell me."

After another few moments of obstinate silence, she sighed and let her shoulders slump. "I-I….I dreamt that all of this was just a dream," she finally stammered out. Her lip began quivering and her eyes slowly turned glassier, but she grew more confidence in her voice. "I dreamt that I woke up back in my home at Diet Cola Mountain, and….nothing had ever changed. And then I walked outside, and all the racers surrounded me and….and they laughed at me, and they were about to start hitting me. And then I couldn't even glitch. I-I felt...so trapped. Ralph, I just…" She looked up at him through watering eyes and drew a long breath of air. "But then I heard your voice, and everything stopped, and-" she gulped, trying to keep the tears from pouring out. "You saved me once again," she murmured with a small, sad smile, wiping away a stray tear with the back of her hand.

Ralph eyed her somewhat bashfully as he fully absorbed the contents of her dream. He took in a deep, shaky breath before pulling the racer back into a hug. She sighed and pressed herself against his chest. A comfortable silence settled over the two as he tried to think of the right words to say.

"You know," he began, "I know how terrifying that must have been for you. If I lost everything I've gained since then...I don't know what I would do. It would be absolutely awful- having a taste of what living feels like and then being thrown back down into the mud. I can't even imagine." He paused for a few minutes, tightening his grip on her a little as she began to shake with silent tears. "But none of this is ever going to go away. This is what you've always been meant to have. _This_ is your life now. Your friends...we're never going to turn our backs on you; I could never abandon you, Vanellope. You're my first and my best friend and nothing is ever going to change that."

She slowly grew still and he could tell the tears had finally stopped. She leaned back to look at him, streaks of sticky liquid trailing down her flushed cheeks. "Thanks, Ralph," she murmured softly. "For everything."

* * *

The next day went by relatively uneventful. Like usual, Vanellope came in first place for the roster race so she got to participate in the game day. After racing and quarter alerts were over, she moseyed over to Taffyta and Candlehead, who were eagerly chatting by their cars.

"Hey, guys," she greeted somewhat nervously. They had checked up on her briefly the night before with Rancis, after Ralph left to go back to his game, but besides that they hadn't really talked since her nightmare.

"Hey, Van," Taffyta returned cheerfully, grinning her usual quirky smile at the brunette. "I'm glad you were able to race today. Are ya feeling better?"

Vanellope nodded with a smile. "Yeah I am. Thanks. And thanks again for coming to see me last night." During their visit she had explained everything to them. They, of course, had given her a multitude of reassurances that they would never do anything like that again. They showered her with apologies and affection and even ended up making her dinner. She found she was warming up to this trio of smarties more and more every day.

"It's really no problem!" Candlehead piped in. "You're our friend now, Vanellope. We wanna make sure you're okay."

Vanellope beamed at the shy racer. "Aw, thanks, Candle. That means a lot to me."

The three girls started casually bantering about the racing day and all the Users who had played their game that day. They talked about different racing maneuvers and the varying abilities of the other racers. Laughing and joking for a few minutes with the two, Vanellope felt all her troubles ease away and started feeling at home once again.

"Is Ralph coming over today?" Candlehead asked shyly. After witnessing how much he cared for their friend the day before, they were all even more eager to get to know him. "We'd love to hang out with the both of you, if that's okay."

It was then that Rancis chose to stroll over. He gave Vanellope a friendly side hug and eased himself into the conversation. "Yeah, when will we get to see what he's like?" He asked teasingly, repeating Candlehead's query.

Vanellope chuckled and rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm supposed to meet him halfway today," she responded, "I think we're just gonna hang around the candy cane forest."

The others nodded and beamed at her. "Is it okay if we come along?" Candlehead asked shyly.

Taffyta interrupted before Vanellope could open her mouth. "Well, of course we're going," she joked with a grin. "We have to see if he's really worth Vanellope's crushing."

Vanellope frowned, quickly becoming flustered as her cheeks grew red. "Guys," she whined. "I _swear,_ I do _not_ have a crush on Ralph."

" _Someone's in denial!"_ Taffyta chimed in a singsong voice, bounding ahead of the others and grabbing Vanellope's arm along the way as she started running towards the candy cane forest. "Come on slowpokes, let's go!"

"Wait!" Vanellope giggled, digging her heels into the dirt and making Taffyta halt. "Our carts!"

* * *

Ralph was just getting off of the rainbow road into Sugar Rush when four barely distinct blurs could be seen racing towards him in the distance. He held his hand up against his brow to block the setting sun, but before he could even process what was happening, he was circled in a blur of dust as four racing midgets slowed down around him in a haphazard circle. He let out hacking coughs, swatting at the dust in the air as he tried to get it away from his face. He supposed at least it was dust made out of candy and not just dirt.

"Wha-?!" He spluttered out and caught eyes with the dirty-haired brat herself. She just smiled up at him sheepishly and hurriedly climbed out of their exquisitely created vehicle. "Are you guys trying to gag me or something?!"

"Sorry, Ralph," she said sincerely, though a small snort managed to escape from her mouth. "We were just trying to surprise you."

"Yeah, yeah," he grunted, rolling his eyes at the band of kids surrounding him. "Are we going to the Candy cane forest or what?"

"Yeah," Vanellope beamed, climbing back into her cart. She patted the back, where he normally sat. "Hop on." She flashed him her signature toothy grin.

Several minutes later, Ralph had found himself roped into playing hide and seek with all four smarties. And he was seeking them _all_. Lesson learned: racers from Sugar Rush are very good at hiding because of their ridiculously small size. Other lesson learned: they also know really good hiding spots because they practically have their map memorized.

Ralph let out an exasperated grunt as he lifted another chocolate boulder to no avail. He put a hand on his hip and ran the other one through his crazy auburn hair. He heard soft giggles coming from somewhere nearby. He looked up and around him hastily before spotting a strange abnormality in one of the trees. Sure enough, as he grew closer, he saw that there were legs, donned in candy-cane colored tights, blending in perfectly with one of the trees.

"Aha!" He exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing the blonde haired shorty by the hood. She glared up at him with a devilish smirk and folded her arms over her chest. "I _finally_ got _one!_ "

He looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. He frowned when she mimicked his facial expression, and frowned even deeper when she exaggeratedly frowned as well. With a sigh he set her down on the ground again and rolled his eyes. "You Sugar Rush weirdos sure know how to get on a guy's nerves."

At this, she chortled loudly. "You're a good guy, Wreck-It Ralph," she reluctantly admitted.

"What?" He spat, still unsure of how to take this particular smartie.

"I know you probably still don't think well of me and the others, but you're a good friend to Vanellope, so I like you," she conceded firmly, nodding her head as if to further affirm her statement.

"Whatever," he said with a roll of his eyes, though he couldn't help returning it with a small smile. Maybe hanging around this batch of oddballs wouldn't be so bad after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! For those of you still reading, thanks for bearing with me! I promise you, things are about to pick up with the plot and definitely get a little more interesting ;)**

 **Also, this chapter is pretty short compared to the rest so far, but I just felt as if I needed to pace things a certain way in accordance with what is happening, and end it in a pretty specific spot. Don't worry, I'll try and get the next update out as soon as I can! ~ With love, CiciVal**

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _As you all know, I don't own Wreck-It Ralph lol. Yada yada, blah blah blah. Let's move on!_

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

The rest of that week passed by without a hitch. Ralph and Vanellope followed their usual routine of hanging out after game day, though now she went over to his game a few times. Taffyta, Candlehead, and Rancis even joined them a few times. Overall, things were settling down and everyone was happy.

That Sunday, Ralph woke up early to go over and surprise Vanellope with a visit to the castle. They had planned on trying some remodeling anyway, so he figured he'd head over there right away. Also, he was kind of hoping she would make breakfast for him again. One thing was for sure, people from Sugar Rush knew a thing or two about food. At least there was one perk about hanging around there so often.

He pulled himself out of bed and quickly took a shower (in what was probably the only one big enough) before throwing on his usual orange polo and half-strapped pair of overalls. Deciding to pass on the coffee, he headed out the door of his cozy cabin.

As it was still relatively early, there wasn't much of a crowd in Game Central Station yet. There were a few other early risers floating between games as well as the usual leftovers from Tapper's sitting on benches and stumbling back to their games. Tapper always made sure to send gamers home after a certain limit; if you consumed too much alcohol, the way it messes with your binary could actually make you game over.

Ralph shook his head at the few drunkards hanging around. One of them, who he glimpsed from a distance, looked suspiciously like Zangief, and was passed out cold on a bench. For a second he paused and thought about going over and making sure he got home safe, but he saw Surge materialize beside him and wake him gently before proceeding to talk to him. After a minute or so, Zangief slowly picked himself up and started wearily trudging towards his game. Surge followed closely behind, and waited to watch him enter.

 _As annoying as that hologram can be,_ Ralph contemplated, _he does genuinely care about our well-being. So I guess I can be grateful for that. Maybe next time I see him I'll try to be a little more friendly._

After observing this small spectacle, Ralph eagerly made his way towards Sugar Rush. But when he got to the monorail station, there was one small issue.

There was no monorail.

Befuddled, he stood and scratched the back of his head, deeply furrowing. "Huh," he murmured aloud. "That's weird." Figuring that someone may be on it, he turned and sat down at a bench. Except, after about ten minutes, he began to realize that it wasn't getting back any time soon.

Hurriedly, he paced back outside the station to where the outlet plugged in and turned around to examine. At a glance, the first thing he noticed made his heart drop.

The lights were out.

The cheery, neon sign that normally beamed the words 'Sugar Rush' with pride, were suddenly dim. With a gulp, Ralph slowly backed away from the outlet. "No…" he whispered. Turning quickly on his heel, Ralph ran faster than he ever had before.

* * *

Skidding to a halt outside the Niceland building, Ralph unwittingly knocked into Felix. "Oof!" It was only with the sound of this exclamation that Ralph looked down and noticed Felix sprawled on his butt in the dirt. "Gee, Ralph," he said with a small chuckle.

His eyes widened and Ralph quickly extended a (rather large) hand to help his friend stand. "Sorry about that Felix. It's just, I'm kind of in a panic. You see, I went to see Vanellope, but the monorail wasn't there, and, and, the lights, and gone, and maybe unplugged, or shut down, and I need to find out, I have to see, I need to-"

Felix cut him off, looking flustered as he tried to process the flurry of words zooming out of the wrecker's mouth. "Woah, woah, slow down there Ralph. I can't keep up," he protested, hands held up towards him to try and tell him to stop.

"Ugh, there's no time Felix. I need to see what's going on. I'm going to the roof."

"O-Okay. Well then, I'm coming with you."

Ralph didn't respond, he simply ran past Felix, who spun around and followed closely in pursuit. As fast as their legs could stride, the two raced up the stairs of the Niceland building, passing by the penthouse, and climbed their way up to the roof.

"You know, Ralph," Felix suggested sheepishly through gasps of air as the two stood, huffing and out of breath, on the roof. "We probably could have just climbed up the building like we do during game day.

Ralph glanced at him, a faintly embarrassed look crossing his eyes, before placing his hands on his knees and continuing to catch his breath. After a few seconds, he straightened himself out, still feeling vaguely breathless, and nervously stepped forward towards the edge of the building.

"It's no use," Ralph huffed, crossing his arms and standing on tiptoe. "I can only get a good look at it when the Nicelanders are lifting me up."

The two stood in frustrated contemplation; Felix took his hat off and held it solemnly in front of him. Finally, he perked up with a smile, and firmly fixed his hat back in place. "How 'bout this, Ralph," he started, "You lift me up onto your shoulders, and I _bet_ I'll be able to see the whole thing from there!"

Ralph eyed him curiously; he stood in a determined stance: brow furrowed, mouth twisted downward into a serious frown, arms held off the body, shoulders back, legs apart. He looked like he was ready for battle. With a nod, Ralph carefully picked him up and lifted him towards his shoulder.

A little clumsily, Felix scrambled to this position and slowly stood. "Perfect!" He exclaimed, beaming. "I've got a perfect view!"

"Okay, okay," Ralph pestered. "Now tell me what you see!" Felix gave a small gasp. He saw Litwak standing with a few strange men, huddled around the Sugar Rush game cabinet. He carefully relayed the visual information to Ralph. The group was talking amongst themselves. Someone stepped forward and lifted his hand eagerly. He was handed some sort of small box, and proceeded to get down on his knees and unscrew a panel from the back of Sugar Rush's cabinet. Felix peered closely to try and see what he was doing.

"Why's he unscrewing stuff?" Ralph worried nervously. "You don't think they're wiping the game's data, do you?" He thought about what would happen if they erased all the memory and Vanellope didn't even remember him anymore. A nervous lump lurched in the pit of his stomach. _And what if she doesn't like me?_

"No, wait," Felix stammered. "They aren't _taking away_ anything. It looks like...it looks like…" The man opened up the small box he was holding and took out a sleek metal object. It had a few wires sticking out of it, it seemed. He watched as the man carefully wired the object into the now open panel. "He's added something, Ralph! You don't think, could it be an upgrade?"

Ralph's stomach fluttered with hope. "An upgrade?" But the feeling was quickly dampened with the worries of Vanellope somehow forgetting him in the process or suddenly not liking him. He didn't wanna be stuck with some new, snooty Vanellope who he had no commonalities with.

The man screwed the panel back on and stood, dusting his hands off on his jeans. The group of men talked for a few more minutes, and managed to turn the cabinet back around to its normal position. Somebody walked around back and seemed to flip some sort of switch when all of a sudden, Sugar Rush's screen flashed on with its bright bold lettering. The words looked a little different - a little bit higher quality.

A black screen then pulled up with a loading bar of some sort, the word 'Updating' displayed above it.

"Jimminy jamminy, Ralph, it is an update!" Felix yelped. "You better get down there and wait for the loading bar to finish. Who knows when it'll get done."

With no other words, Ralph plucked Felix off from his shoulder and the two climbed down rather haphazardly along the window ledges towards the ground. When they reached it, Felix turned to him and lightly placed a hand on his arm. They met eyes, and Felix's were full of genuine concern and kindness. They both knew the possibilities of data loss or even upgrade failure, which could result in permanent damage of the game's hardware. Without even needing words, the two shared a silent exchange. Ralph nodded, and Felix slid his hand back from his arm. Wordlessly, Ralph turned and sprinted off towards the exit

* * *

The train moving out of Fix It Felix, Jr., and into Game Central Station could not move any slower. As soon as it creaked to a halt at his destination, Ralph practically rocketed himself out of the cart and barreled down the now slightly more filled walkway towards Sugar Rush.

He almost tripped as he forcefully stopped himself in front of the game's entrance. Looking up, he saw that the game's lights were of course still out. Suddenly his halted momentum of movement seemed to catch up to him and he let out a labored sigh. Trudging his way over to the closest bench, which was turned away from the entrance, he plopped himself down and tried to get settled for a long wait.

As he sat waiting, his tiredness finally caught up to him, hitting him like a train full force. After about an hour, he had eased from his primary alert posture into a comfortable slouch. Slowly, that slouch turned into a hunch, with his face held between his massive hands. He still looked back periodically to check if the Sugar Rush lights were on yet, but as that second hour went by, these checkups became less and less frequent.

Throughout the third hour, he leant back against the bench and his eyelids started gradually drooping. He nearly fell asleep a few times by the end of it, yet startled himself awake and frantically perked up to check the entrance only these rare occasions.

At around the beginning of the fourth hour, his eyelids fell closed and the warm darkness of sleep took him before his mind could react or even register what was happening.

* * *

A small hand gently jostling his shoulder slowly aroused Ralph from his deep slumber. He groggily blinked open his eyes and sat back up against the bench. The hand remained rested on his shoulder, but the tiredness still clawing at his body kept his mind from making him look up.

That is, until a soft, strange, yet definitely familiar voice stirred him from his half-sleep. "Ralph?" The feminine timbre curiously prodded. He jolted slightly and turned his head towards the girl. He blinked, squinting his eyes, at first unable to recognize the womanly figure standing in front of him. "Hey, Stinkbrain," she softly called as he finally adjusted to the brightness of the room. His heart skipped and his eyes widened as a faint blush traveled across his features. "It's me, Vanellope. Y-You do remember me, right?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's another update! Thank you to those who continue to support me and read this, it really means a lot to me. I need that extra bit of motivation lol. Especially because things in my personal life can get pretty rough sometimes. Anyway, I appreciate it and would love to hear some more feedback! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!~**

 **Also, I'd like to give a little shoutout to Moises781! I enjoy reading your kind reviews, and yes, lol, I know the whole update thing is a little overdone, but hopefully I can give it my own personal twist and keep the story original. I've just wanted to write about something like this quite literally for years and I'm just now getting around to it. Anyway, thank you for reading and supporting this! I appreciate it :D**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 _*That morning*_

"Vanellope! Vanellope, get up! Please, come on! Get up!"

With a low groan, Vanellope turned over in her bed, blinking open her groggy eyes as the room around her slowly came into focus. "What is it?" She croaked, her voice even scratchier than usual as she sat up in bed and rubbed wearily at her eyes. "Jeez, you'd think we were getting shut down or something."

The two gamers in front of her, Candlehead and Taffyta, exchanged a nervous look. Taffyta looked back at her, sheepishly biting her lip. Slowly, the realization dawned on Vanellope. "Wait a second….are we getting shut down?" A feeling of alarm spread through her system and the tiredness suddenly evaporated from her body. She shot out of her bed and hurried over to her dresser to fish for her clothing.

Changing without shame in front of her two friends, she hastily pulled on her tights and stared at them from across the room. "What is going on exactly?" She barked. "You still haven't told me anything.

"Well," Candlehead started nervously, "There's some strange men messing with our cabinet...The Sugar Rush citizens are freaking out. They think our game may have been turned off."

Vanellope's brow furrowed in worried concentration. "Okay," she said slowly as she finished changing, pulling on her mint green hoodie with a determined tug. "I guess I should probably give a speech or something - try and calm everyone down."

"Yeah, that's what we thought should be done," Taffyta agreed. "Everyone's up in arms. I swear, if some fights break out I won't be all that surprised.

"Fights?" Vanellope coughed out in surprise. "They're really that upset over this?"

"I mean, yeah," Taffyta replied. "None of us knows what being turned off means for us. Will we get unplugged and wheeled out of the arcade? Nobody knows."

Finally, this thought settled down on Vanellope and she felt a small spike of grief rise up her throat and overwhelm her mind. _Ralph._ She couldn't bear the thought of potentially never seeing her loveable wrecker again. He was her best and first friend. She couldn't lose him. No way.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," she soothed the anxious racers, though her tone had lost some of its confidence. "I should probably head out there."

"Everyone's gathered at the track, waiting for you," Taffyta informed. "I rallied everyone and told them what to do. I told them you'd be there to explain everything soon."

Vanellope looked at her with surprised admiration. "That was a good call," she praised.

"Yeah, well, I had Candlehead and Rancis' help too of course," the blonde admitted humbly. "Candlehead managed to calm them down enough for me to actually talk to them and Rancis is down there now moderating the citizens and the racers."

Vanellope beamed her signature toothy grin. "You three'll make swell advisors one day."

The two girls smiled bashfully back at her, and Candlehead averted her eyes shyly to the ground. "Yeah well, we should probably head out there now," she added calmly. Vanellope nodded firmly.

"You're right. Let's go."

* * *

The three girls made their way to the race track together, but when they reached the bottom of the President's podium, they said their goodbyes and Vanellope began climbing and glitching up to the top while the others headed over to join their fellow racers.

As Vanellope found herself at the top of the booth, she stared somewhat nervously out at the restless, quietly chattering crowd in front of her. The candy citizens, who were normally arranged in their respective boxes for the races, were now gathered and mingling haphazardly out on the track. As she stepped forward and cleared her throat, the chattering died down and all eyes were turned on her.

 _Come on Vanellope,_ she urged herself inwardly. _This is what you're programmed for; it's in your code to be a leader. Even if you had to glitch the system a little bit._

She slowly let a smile spread across her features as she brought the microphone closer to her mouth. "Alright, listen up everyone," she began. "This is your President addressing you. And I hope you all know that you're in perfectly capable hands. I promise you all, we are perfectly safe. No matter what happens, you have me to lead and guide you. And even though I'm still going through a learning process and trying to get used to this whole thing, I swear on my life I am dedicated to keeping our game safe and peaceful. I know I'm just a kid, but your trust is well placed in me. I don't know what exactly is going on, but from the sounds of it, we may be turned off for a bit. If we're moved to a different arcade, or whatever it is that's happening, I'll make sure everything runs smoothly and all of you are okay." She took in a deep breath and scanned her eyes across the crowd. She could see Taffyta jumping up and giving her an eager thumbs up from down on the track. The racers seemed to be milling about and delivering more confident reassurances to the citizens. Vanellope felt herself well up with pride. She was more than happy to be able to call this group of gamers her family.

"So, anyway," she continued with a more genuine smile than she started with. "I'll be going down there to be with you guys, ready for whatever happens. If anyone has questions for me, you can come find me with the rest of the racers at the front of the track. Thank you."

The small racer half climbed, half glitched her way back down the tower and landed herself softly on the dirt. She walked forward to meet the large group of racers halfway, and gave them all hesitant smiles. "How did I do?" she asked sheepishly.

"You did great!" Jubileena confidently enthused.

"Yeah," Gloyd piped in with a sly smirk. "This President thing is starting to suit you."

Vanellope smiled and laughed as the rest of her friends gave her glowing reassurances. "Thanks guys," she chuckled bashfully. "I just really hope everything will actually turn out okay," she worried, lowering her voice and checking to make sure none of the citizens could overhear her. "I'm actually really worried that we might be moved or….or worse."

"Shut down for good," Candlehead breathed, finishing her thought.

"I'm sure everything will turn out fine," Rancis eased, though a glint of fear flashed in his honey colored eyes.

"I sure do hope so," Vanellope agreed. Little did they know, at that moment, a panel on the back of their cabinet was being opened, and as their world suddenly turned black, the power switch was flicked down.

* * *

When their vision was renewed, and life finally returned to Sugar Rush as the power was flicked back on, Vanellope blinked in confusion. It was as if only a moment has passed. Yet the differences in the landscape were noticed immediately. A surge of colorful pixels ran through the entire game, in much a similar manner as to when it reset the last time. Vanellope felt a similar, strange sensation to what she had experienced before, as she was lightly lifted from the ground and her pixels glitched and crawled with new, updated coding. She watched curiously as the gamers around her all experienced the same thing.

The track remained relatively unchanged, but she could see a noticeable improvement in graphics and texture and a slight difference in the layout. Also, from a difference she could see something had changed about the racers' cars, which were lined up waiting for that day's roster race.

Vanellope felt herself finally settle to the ground and looked around in confusion. _Am I...taller?_ She looked around her surroundings in a confused manner, before she suddenly realized the difference in the racers around her.

They were all already staring at each and gasping, pointing and clutching their faces as they rambled softly in flustered voices.

First of all, everybody looked significantly...older. They were all several feet taller and slimmer - less chubby and chibi-like in appearance. The girls were much more womanly in their builds, with updated, more flattering and age-defining outfits. The boys were also more handsome and mature looking, with sharper, more masculine features and streamlined appearances. They even had subtly sculpted arm muscles.

It took Vanellope a minute to process that these changed must have also occurred to let out a small gasp and felt her face flush. Her three best friend of the group rushed over to her.

Taffyta was dressed in a hot pink cut-off hoodie with a pair of high-waisted vivid green shorts and the same customary candy-cane striped leggings. Her hair was now nearly shoulder length, though still choppy and with long, uneven bangs that nearly covered her eyes now. Her eyes sparkled and she clutched Vanellope's hands eagerly in her own. "Vanellope!" She cried out. "What's happened to us?!"

"I-I don't know," she nervously stammered back in response. She looked over at Candlehead. She too had changed significantly. She was slightly thinner than Taffyta, but with a slightly larger bust. She stood in flabbergasted shock, nervously clutching her arms. Her hair was still draped in its customary loose pigtails, though they now reached just below her armpits. She wore a dark pink sleeveless jacket that hung all the way to the tops of her thighs, flaring out at the bottom in a similar fashion to the skirt she wore underneath. She also still wore her customary dark brown leggings.

Rancis definitely look a lot less dopey than he did before. His hair was shorter and a little more messy, though it still had small curls that swooped to the side like previously. He too sported a sleeveless brown hoodie and dark brown and yellow racing pants. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, looking between the three girls with a dark blush crawling across his features.

"M-maybe I should go talk some more," she said to her friends nervously. She noticed all the gamers were looking around in a dazed manner. "We must have had some sort of update or something. I should just go reassure everybody."

* * *

After Vanellope said a few quick words to the citizens of Sugar Rush, they completed their daily roster race, considering they were all already there, and she made her way hurriedly to the castle. She wanted to go see Ralph, but first she needed to look at herself. Taffyta, Rancis, and Candlehead decided to look around the game and figure out what else had changed.

The candy citizens hadn't changed much, except there had been a few different types, and they all seemed more sleek and graphically defined. Something about them seemed somewhat more intelligent also.

The walkway to the castle was much shorter, thankfully. Vanellope figured that must have come with the update. She had wanted to change that anyway. As soon as she entered the entrance/throne room, she noticed a huge difference.

No more pink.

The walls were covered in a pale seafoam color with delicate pink and cream-colored swirls. Vanellope held back a small gasp as she stared eagerly around the newly decorated room. The layout was also completely different. Instead of being an insanely long walk to the throne, it was more compact and filled with warm, natural lighting that flooded in through long elegant windows. Lush plants were dotted throughout the room, some normal, green and flowering things, as well as the more native candy-structured flora.

She walked slowly up towards the throne. Now there were two seats up at the front. She furrowed her eyebrows as she traced her hand along the pale gleaming wood of the two chairs. She noticed she fit a lot more comfortably in her place now, considering she actually filled it.

 _But why do I need a second throne?_ She wondered curiously.

She continued walking through the castle, passing the kitchen, which was colored and decorated similarly to the entrance way, and into her wing. The living space had cream colored walls with small, glimmering sprinkles dotted across. The arrangement of furniture was the same, though the couches were now a lively turquoise, draped in soft pink blankets and pillows.

Hardly able to contain her curiosity and excitement any longer, Vanellope practically sprinted up the familiar staircase. She burst open the freshly updated doors and ran into her bedroom. She skidded herself to a halt and gazed around the room in awe.

The walls were painted a delicate minty green, with gentle interloping swirls of cream and pastel pink, much like the walls of the entrance room, except there were also small sprinkles and lollipops - an homage to the signature dirtiness of her hair.

She beamed from ear to ear and approached her bed. Though it still had a marshmallow mattress, the frame was more sleek and rectangular, made from pale cream-colored candy cane wood with cute green peppermints scattered over the headboard. The blankets were soft and billowy, a beautiful satiny champagne color with an overlay of frosty mint colored lace. It looked like a dream.

With a sigh, she sat down and ran her hands over the smooth material, closing her eyes and smiling in content. _At least I didn't have to do all this work myself,_ she relished.

Anxious to see what she looked like, she stood up from her bed and hurried over to the floor-length mirror on the other side of her room. Slowly, she approached it, her heart pounding nervously in her chest. What she saw made her eyes practically bulge out of their sockets.

She was several feet taller, of course, with a much more feminine and womanly physique, similar to that of Taffyta's though her build was slightly wider and curvier. Her hips were broad, but her waist slimmed down into a trim hourglass figure that widened out again at her chest. She felt a blush rise up to her cheeks as she stared at herself from all different angles.

She wore a sleeveless, cropped mint green hoodie with a tight, cream-colored tank top below, a short black skirt, and her signature green candy-cane striped tights. Her sleek black hair was still pulled into a high ponytail, though it seemed a few inches longer at least. She had on black fingerless racing gloves and noticed black racing goggles pushed up on her head. Scoffing, she pulled these items off and set them on her dresser. _Not exactly casual wear,_ she chuffed inwardly.

"Now I just need to find Ralph," she muttered aloud to herself. She didn't know how long it had really taken to update her game, and hoped he hadn't been sitting around worrying about her. With a glance at her clock, she saw it was already four-thirty p.m. Letting out a sigh, she turned and let her bedroom. "The poor Stinkbrain has probably been sitting outside my game this whole time."

As she exited Sugar Rush's outlet and walked into Game Central Station, she felt her gut twist strangely in her stomach and suddenly a nervous, queasy sensation. _What's Ralph going to think of all this?_ She pondered as color flooded to her face.

She immediately noticed her best friend dozing off in a nearby bench, slumped against the back of it, his head drooped over to rest on his shoulder. With a toothy grin, she laced her hands behind her back and anxiously approached the slumbering wrecker. _I knew it._

She approached his side and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, feeling her heart skip curiously. "Ralph?" She asked softly, shaking his shoulder just barely. He slowly stirred from his sleep and groggily peeled open his eyes to look at her. Her face flushed as he squinted at her, unresponsive, in mild confusion. "Hey, Stinkbrain," she called to him hesitantly, searching his face for any sign of recognition.

In a moment, she watched his eyes widen and his face flush with intense color. His eyes quickly scanned her figure. She opened her mouth to speak, her blush growing deeper. "It's me, Vanellope. Y-You do remember me, right?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Ralph stared at the girl in front of him, who was familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. Her voice still held true to its characteristic tone, though the raspiness was more subtle and the timbre was a little deeper and more womanly.

He blinked in mingled surprise and confusion as he slowly stood to face her. "V-Vanellope?" He stammered, letting his eyes quickly peel down her figure yet again. He blushed harder, feeling awkward staring at this beautiful woman that had, the last time he saw her, merely been a small girl.

She beamed her usual toothy grin, though he noticed she looked just as awkward and sheepish as he did. "That's me," she affirmed.

"W-what happened to you?" He spluttered out, gesturing towards her. She now came up to his lower chest in height. "I watched some men come in and turn off your game. And then they put something in it, and turned it back on, and the screen said…" The realization suddenly dawned on him. "...updating."

She looked away nervously and brought her hands around in front of her, bouncing slightly back and forth between the heels and the platforms of her feet. "Yeah…" she started awkwardly. "I'm not really sure. Sugar Rush had an update installed, I guess. I'm not too sure how these kind of things work."

"Your game must be really successful, then," Ralph observed, furrowing his brow and trying to ignore the differences in the atmosphere. "Litwak only puts his money into updating the super popular arcade games."

"Really?" Vanellope asked, though she knew this was all just uneasy small talk. Somehow, there was an unspoken change between them. Their atmosphere felt heavy and strangled. She found herself wishing it could just go back to the way it usually was. She wished he would stop looking at her like she grew an extra head. Yet, with this update came a slew of knowledge as well as physical changes. She knew much more than she wanted to about the birds and the bees...At least, some parts of it. She knew enough to know that her age and her physical appearance now certainly did matter, especially when she was best friends with a man.

"Yeah," he answered, trailing off as he averted his gaze and anxiously scratched the back of his head. "How'd everyone handling this...update?"

"Oh, they're fine," she eased, slowly starting to feel more comfortable being around her wrecker. "I made a big speech both before and after the update. Of course, they were more worried before everything happened. Nobody knew what was going on. We were worried that we might be shut off and unplugged, maybe even moved to a different arcade...or worse."

She looked up at him, her eyes suddenly glassy. "Ralph," she whispered, suddenly feeling more vulnerable and full of bubbling emotions than she had all day. "I was so worried I would never see you again." She finally let her emotions break free from where she had pushed them down and suppressed them. Turns out running a kingdom made a lot of personal demands on your composure.

His gaze softened as he turned his eyes back to her. "I was worried too," he cooed, "When I saw that Sugar Rush's lights were out and there was no monorail. I was more scared than I've ever been. And then I found out the game had been turned off..I didn't know what to think."

Vanellope looked up at him with a small uneasy smile, her bottom lip gently quivering. "C'mere," he lightly soothed, holding his arms open. Not needing any more encouragement than this, she eagerly dove straight into his arms and clutched tightly onto his orange polo.

Ralph wrapped his large arms curiously and gently around her figure, pulling her in closer against his chest. His face warmed at the strange feeling of her body pressed up against him; she fit into his arms perfectly like a puzzle piece. She was much bigger now, so she filled up the space against him quite well. She nuzzled her face against him and sighed in weary content. His face flushed deeper as he settled his chin against the top of her head. His heart pounded so loudly against his chest and his eardrums he could swear she probably noticed the way it sped up every time she pushed herself closer.

He tenderly and hesitantly rubbed his hand back and forth across her back, feeling a tense twisting in his gut when she shivered gently from his touch. The two stood like that for a few minutes, and they both felt heavy tiredness seep into their bones. He had to suppress a yawn before he finally pulled himself away some and Vanellope relaxed the rest of the way out of his grip. She stood back a few feet awkwardly, seeming to look anywhere but at him.

"You wanna head back over to my game?" Ralph asked hesitantly, pointing his thumb back in the direction of Fix It Felix, Jr.

"Sure," she responded with a smile, as a faint blush dusted her cheeks. The two turned and walked silently over to the outlet. As soon as they crossed the threshold, a familiar beeping sound went off, and Surge materialized in front of them. Ralph let out a sigh, but as he remembered the sight from earlier in the day, he managed to contain his gruff irritation.

Surge looked up at the pair from his clipboard. "Oh!" He exclaimed, upon seeing Vanellope. "I see you've finished with your update already." Ralph noticed his holographic eyes rake up and down the clueless girl's body. He felt his muscles tense up with protective apprehension. Just that morning she had been a little kid. He felt his protectiveness swell up and he felt the sudden urge to cover her from view. He didn't want any more creepy guys to start objectifying her.

 _But Ralph, you were kind of checking her out yourself,_ he heard a small inner voice sneer. His face heated up instantly. "Anyway," Surge continued, prying him out of his thoughts. "You look great," he complimented Vanellope. He passed Ralph a knowing look, winking suggestively. Ralph merely raised an eyebrow at him in response. "You two are free to go." And just as quickly as he came, he was gone.

"That was odd," Vanellope commented, her tone genuinely bemused. "He kept looking at me funny. Ralph, do I look funny?" She turned to Ralph with her hands on her hips, nose wrinkled cutely.

Ralph looked down at her and furrowed his brow. "Quite the contrary," he chuffed honestly, though he felt his face heat up. "Your update is very...becoming on you," he managed to choke out.

"Thanks, Ralph," she responded cheerfully with a grin. "Let's go!" She grabbed his arm and began dragging him into his game. _There's the usual Vanellope,_ he thought with a smirk. _Maybe I could get used to this._

The two headed into Fix It Felix, Jr., and moseyed over to the Niceland building so Ralph could update Felix on the situation. (Hah, kind of a pun. Update? Lol I know, I'm lame.)

"Everything looks so much smaller now," Vanellope noticed bashfully with a smile as they filed into the elevator to go up to the penthouse.

Ralph gave her a teasing smile. "Yeah, well, you're a whole lot bigger now, kid."

"Kid?" She questioned, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow and playful smirk. "You know I'm not a kid anymore, Wreck-It."

He felt his face heat up and turned away to avoid eye contact. "Yeah, well," he said gruffly, but he didn't know how to finish. _I guess she's right,_ he pondered. _But this is gonna take some getting used to. I don't want this to be weird now that she's..._ _ **this.**_ The two continued the elevator ride in flustered silence, neither one looking at the other.

When the beep sounded to signal they had reached their floor, they both waited in poised anticipation for the doors to open. When they did, both gamers lunged for the exit, trying to rid themselves of the tense atmosphere.

But of course, she couldn't really slid under or past him quite so easily anymore, so their attempts resulted in Vanellope unceremoniously tripping over Ralph's foot and falling across his leg as she tried to push past him out the door.

In a flash, Ralph reached out his arms to catch her as she nearly landed face-first on the hard floor. He felt his face heat up instantly as his hands easily encircled her waist and he pulled her up gently to her feet. When she looked at him, her face was flushed too, and for a few moments, he kept his hands tenderly wrapped around her delicate figure, his fingers brushed against the tops of her hips. The two stared in silence at each other for a few seconds before Ralph panicked and hastily let go, causing her to tumble backwards and land on her butt.

"Owwww!" She complained, wincing and lightly rubbing her rear as she slowly stood back up on her feet. She gave Ralph a teasing glare. "What'd you have to go and do that for, you big oaf?"

Ralph looked away, color still filling his face, and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry," he muttered sincerely. Though he internally questioned the twisting, pulling feelings he was experiencing in his gut. He didn't know what he would have done if he had held her like that any longer. _This update is gonna be the death of me._

She rolled her eyes at him and gave him a playful smack on the shoulder, which carried more force than it used to, but still not nearly enough to affect him. Finally he looked down at her and gave her a gap-toothed grin. "Come on, Stinkbrain," she laughed. Turning towards the doors, his wandering gaze noticed she was still rubbing her lower back, and he found his eyes drift a little more downwards…

Shooting his eyes up practically to the ceiling, Ralph could feel his face burning harder than ever before, and a choking feeling rising up his throat. He couldn't deny, of course the obvious; Vanellope was very, _very_ attractive. But he also couldn't help feeling a little disgusted at himself for thinking of her that way. After all, he knew her when she was just a small kid. And she was freakishly small. That's just the way the racers from her game were programmed, but for a kid she was still really short.

He followed her nervously into the building. In the course of the week that had passed since he last took her in there, Felix and him had done some dual effort wrecking and fixing to make the ceilings and doorways of the place significantly higher. Even the Nicelanders liked their changes; who doesn't appreciate a nice, high ceiling? Of course, for Ralph it still wasn't exactly high, but it managed. He appreciated the accommodations made for him.

Felix was sitting by himself at the bar, slowly sipping at a fizzy root beer. "Hey, Felix!" Vanellope chimed sweetly. "Look at my upgrade!"

Felix turned in a whir to look at the updated racer. "Jimminy jamminy," he uttered with a grin. "Vanellope, you look fantastic!"

"Thanks, Felix," she responded humbly with a girly smile. "Everyone at Sugar Rush was going a little crazy, wondering what was going on and if we were gonna get unplugged. But when the game came back on and the updates were finished, I think everyone was even more shocked than to begin with."

Felix nodded solemnly. "Well, I'm glad ya'll are okay," he told her earnestly, taking another sip of his root beer. He looked at Ralph with a small smile. "If something happened to Sugar Rush I don't know _how_ this guy would take it. He really cares about you, y'know? He was running all around the arcade like a mad man."

Ralph smiled sheepishly and looked away. "Well, I was worried," he justified. "Vanellope's my best friend, and...the first person to accept me."

Vanellope smiled up at him tenderly, her nose wrinkled in a playful manner. "Hey, Stinkbrain," she called to him. He looked down at her hesitantly. "You're never going to lose me," she promised, stepping forward to give him a friendly hug as he stared down at her, unsure.

Felix and him shared a glance, and the sneaky fixer gave him a mischievous wink as he slowly returned the embrace. This hug definitely wasn't as awkward feeling as the last one they shared; Ralph felt somewhat comforted by the friendly nature of it. He chose to ignore Felix's sly winks and kissy faces out of the corner of his eye. Vanellope pulled away after a few seconds and looked up at him, which wasn't such a difficult feat anymore.

He smiled back down at her, beginning to feel the familiar dynamic of their friendship come back into lay. He felt slightly relieved, hoping things wouldn't just get more awkward from there.

The two turned back to face Felix, who immediately stopped making his teasing expressions towards Ralph and stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"How come Calhoun's not here today?" Vanellope wondered, walking over to join Felix at the bar. She sat down at the farthest stool down, allowing Ralph to slide in beside her and take the one next to her.

"Oh, she had to go back over to Hero's Duty; some sort of tussle broke out among her soldiers, apparently. She had to go handle that. But I'm sure she'll be back in a jiffy." He sat back down on his stool and the three sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Ralph kept stealing nervous glances at Vanellope, who, unbeknownst to him, was stealing similar anxious glances back at him when he wasn't looking.

The two continued their little tender dance of secret looks at one another before eventually, Vanellope managed to look back at him while he still had his eyes fixed on her. A faint blush crept into Ralph's cheeks as he opened his mouth to try and justify himself. "Uh," he stammered, "You've uh, got, something, on your cheek." With an inward sigh of relief, he found that actually did have a small sprinkle just above the corner of her mouth.

Vanellope frowned and reached up to attempt wiping the sprinkle away with the back of her hand. "Did I get it?" She questioned.

"Uh, no," he answered, suddenly wondering why he got himself into this predicament. To no avail, she continued trying to swipe away the confection, but she kept missing it by several inches.

She let out a heavy sigh. "Can you get it for me, hamhands?" She asked, her voice teeming with frustration. Ralph gulped, wondering how exactly to go about this. His hands were so big, and that sprinkle was, of course, situated so close to her lips. _Shoot._ Meanwhile, Felix watched the ensuing bundle of awkwardness from his perch at the other end of the bar.

With a small grunt, Ralph reached his finger out awkwardly to wipe the sprinkle away from her face. As he gently brushed it against the corner of her mouth, Vanellope's eyes widened and a faint blush rose up to the surface of her skin. "I-I thought you said it was on my cheek," she stammered.

"Yeah, well, cheek, mouth, same difference," he mumbled quietly, his face slowly gaining more color as well. He tried to act indifferent as he rubbed the gleaming candy from her dimple. She averted her eyes as a strange warmth spread through her body at the contact between them. The edge of his finger brushed lightly against her lip as he tried to pry the sprinkle off of her. "I-It doesn't wanna come off," he explained with a furrowed brow. She kept her eyes fixed on the wall beside his face, her blush growing deeper.

Finally, he managed to work the sugary sprinkle off her skin, letting out an exasperated noise as it flew off of her and fell somewhere unknown. "How did you manage to get a _sprinkle_ on you?"

"Ralph," she teased with a raised eyebrow. "I live in _Sugar Rush_. A candy themed game? Or did you forget?" He rolled his eyes at her and sat back in his stool, realizing he had been leaned towards her that whole time. "I guess there's a reason I call you Stinkbrain," she prodded with a toothy grin.

"Oh shush, dirty-faced brat," he shot back, though his lips betrayed a smile. He felt glad to be returning to their usual, teasing banter. He didn't know how much more awkward contact and staring he could take.

After a few minutes, Calhoun walked into the room, looking tired and hassled. As soon as she entered, her features came alive with alertness. "Vanellope?!" She questioned, staring at the dark-haired girl beside Ralph with uncertainty.

"Yeah," she responded sheepishly, turning to look back at the tough blonde woman behind her. "How's it going?"

"What happened?" She barked, eyeing her somewhat suspiciously as she approached the bar and started fixing herself a mug of root beer. "You guys want some?" She asked her and Ralph as she poured the frothy beverage into a mug for herself.

"Sure," Ralph and Vanellope responded in time. She looked at them warily before pulling out tw more mugs and proceeding to fill those as well.

"Sugar Rush got an upgrade!" Felix piped in. "Doesn't Vanellope look swell, hun?"

Calhoun finally gave the racer a small smile. "Yeah, you look great," she complimented somewhat gruffly. Vanellope grinned at her playfully. She knew her rock-hard exterior only broke through to show soft, caring insides. She was much like a crab, in fact. Though she realized that was a little bit of a morbid thought.

"Thanks, Cal," she responded lightly. Calhoun raised her eyebrow and gave a small chuckle.

"If you were one of my soldiers, I would pulverize you for calling me that," she barked. Her gaze softened as she slid her and Ralph their mugs. "But you are a friend, so, I'll hold back on the aggression a little bit." She retired to her seat beside Felix, and the husband and wife shared a knowing look.

As Ralph and Vanellope started playfully bantering yet again, Calhoun dropped her voice to an almost imperceptible whisper and asked Felix, "You remember that conversation we had last week?"

He nodded warily and took another sip of his root beer as she continued. "Well, I think we've just found ourselves in even deeper, murkier waters."

"Do you think….it would be wrong?" Felix asked softly as he stole a glance at the two friends from across the counter. "I mean, she's obviously of age now. And they're best friends. I think they could make each other happy."

"Well, that's a difficult question, Fix-It," Calhoun murmured with a sigh. "No, it wouldn't be technically wrong anymore, because yes, she is of age now. But...the implications it could make...and I'm not so sure the other gamers around the arcade would take to it so well. I'm not sure Ralph would either. I'm more worried the big lug is going to end up breaking that poor girl's heart."

Her hardcore exterior melted away as she showed her tender side more openly to her husband. He had to admit, he loved seeing this side of her. Once in awhile he wanted to be the one to quell her worries and comfort her; it made him feel like he was doing something right. His heart swelled with love for his wife as he gazed into her nervous eyes and smiled gently at her.

"I'm sure everything will be okay, love," he eased, leaning over to kiss her gently on the cheek. "Their friendship is strong. Even if something like that _does_ happen, I'm sure they'll bounce back."

"I sure hope so," Calhoun urged with a furrowed brow. "User knows if they stopped talking, Ralph would never be the same, and the safety of your game hangs in the balance."

Felix nodded, taking his hat off and placing it on the counter next to his mug. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see," he responded. Calhoun turned around and the two leaned over to get a look at the still conversing friends, who looked as happy and carefree as ever. "One thing's for sure," he muttered as his wife looked back at him. "This whole upgrade ordeal is _not_ going to be smooth sailing."

* * *

 **Review Responses:**

Moises781: Awww thank you! Your reviews are so sweet and very much appreciated! I will do my best to make sure my story is deserving of such kindness lol.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

After a few hours of friendly chatter and playful banter, the virtual sunlight was gone and night had fallen over Litwak's arcade, so Ralph decided to walk with Vanellope back to her game. The two slowly moseyed through Game Central Station, neither speaking a word as they crossed the still bustling area.

They approached Sugar Rush's outlet and Vanellope turned around quickly to face Ralph. Suddenly, tension boiled between the two and they felt as if they were saying goodbye to each other after a date.

Vanellope looked sheepishly down at her feet with a small smile, rolling quietly back and forth from her heels to her platforms. "I guess it's goodnight now," she said with a bashful glance upward, flashing her signature toothy grin. "Goodnight Stinkbrain." Ralph opened his mouth to speak, but a million different thoughts were running through his mind. She turned back around to face the Sugar Rush entrance and started skipping towards it.

"W-wait, Vanellope!" Ralph called, holding his arm out. A sudden realization came to his head. She stopped, turning to look over her shoulder; the way she was poised, her body turned and head tilted at just the right angle…

He snapped himself away from his distracting thoughts and pulled his eyes to look back up at her face. His cheeks flushed a deep merlot. "Y-you, you really shouldn't be walking home by yourself this late at night."

Vanellope furrowed her brow in confusion, turning around completely and walking back over to Ralph. "What do you mean?" She queried, tilting her head slightly. "Why not? I've walked myself home to the castle _hundreds_ of times."

"Well, I wouldn't say _hundreds_ ," Ralph responded with a chuckle and a roll of his eyes. "I mean, you've only been leaving your game for about a week or two now."

"Whatever, Stinkbrain," she laughed, crinkling her nose. "You know what I mean. But, what's the difference? I've still walked through Sugar Rush at night on my own plenty of times, why does it matter now?"

"Well…" Ralph began, awkwardly scratching the back of his head and looking away. "Vanellope," he started again, sighing softly. "It's different not." He looked up to meet her curious stare. " _You're_ different."

"Huh? How?"

He let out a frustrated groan, tensing up and swinging his arms loosely beside him. "Kid," he said in an exasperated tone, "Haven't you looked at yourself since your upgrade. I-I mean, come on now! Don't be so naive!"

Her face flooded with pale pink pigment. "R-Ralph," she muttered sheepishly. "I know I've changed in, a-appearance and all, but...why would that change anything."

He sighed, placing his hands on top of his head. "You're not getting it," he hissed impatiently. "I guess this _is_ all pretty sudden to you, and you don't really know about, uh...certain, stuff, but…" He sighed, suddenly feeling less confident in his words. He just wasn't quite prepared to deal with this sort of situation.

"Spit it out, Stinkbrain," she teased with a small giggle, though her features read uncertainty as she stepped closer to him and folded her arms over her chest. In that moment of seriousness, the young woman who Ralph had known as a young girl just the day before, suddenly looked twice as old and mature. Her physical appearance didn't even account for this brief display of change. Suddenly Ralph was catching a glimpse of the mature, serious young woman she was quickly turning into - and it unnerved him.

"Vanellope," he started again, looking her square in the eye. "People don't look at you the same anymore. You used to just be this cute little kid, but now...You're gown; you're matured, and you look _much_ different. _Guys_ look at you differently. And, well, there are some weirdos and creeps out there who try and...take advantage of young, attractive girls like you."

 _Did he really just call me attractive?_ A blush formed easily on her cheeks, but she tried to maintain focus on what Ralph was explaining to her.

"Anyway, young women like yourself shouldn't be left wandering unaccompanied at night, even if it is your own game. Other gamers could still enter and, well, do stuff with the intention of harming you. Sometimes...even the people we know surprise us. Now that the male racers of Sugar Rush have suddenly been catapulted into this change, I'm sure they're experiencing all kinds of crazy code hormones and, well, not really knowing what to do with them."

 _What is he talking about? Hormones?_

"Not saying, of course, that any of the racers would intentionally harm someone but, well, you never know. Anyway, I just want you to be safe, and I don't want to risk some creep hurting you." He stared at her with sincere eyes, his brow slightly furrowed as he frowned in trepidation. "So I'm going to walk you up to the castle."

"What do you mean, hurt me?" Vanellope asked, startled. "I know nobody in my game would ever do that!"

Ralph sighed. "Well...there are certain intimate things people do together, and, sometimes...people take advantage of this and...force other people to engage in these things. And guys think about you differently now, Vanellope. They don't look at you and see a kid. They look at you and see a desirable young woman and sometimes have very perverted thoughts"

"But Ralph, I-"

"Look, kid," he suddenly barked, taking a step closer to her and clenching his fists in determination. "I'm walking you home, and that's final. If you don't like it, well that's tough."

They sat in silence for a few moments, suddenly realizing the proximity they now found themselves at. "Ralph," she murmured quietly, staring at his still clenched fists as his chest heaved slightly with unease. She held out her hands and laid them gently on his tense arms. "Okay, fine, I'll go with you, fartbreath. Just calm down." She crinkled her nose and turned her head upwards to eye him tenderly as he slowly relaxed his arms and unclenched his hands, letting out a deep breath.

"Okay," he whispered back. "Why are we talking so quietly now?"

He suddenly turned to see that some other gamers were eyeing them oddly and realized he had just caused a small scene in the middle of the bustling station. "Oops," he muttered sheepishly as he looked back at her with a gap-toothed smile.

Rolling her eyes, Vanellope laughed and nervously looked back at him. She realized her hands were still rested on his arms, but she found that she didn't want to move them. "Um, Ralph?" She asked timidly, looking down. "Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure, kid," he breathed, staring down at her curiously. "Ask away."

"The way you talked about other guys looking at me, uhm…" She looked up at him with a strange, hazy look in her eyes. "D-do you l-look at me that way?"

He felt his heart practically stop in his chest as he stared, speechless, down at the innocent young girl in front of him. "Uh-uh, V-Vanel-I, look, uhm…" He covered his eyes with his hand, backing away and simultaneously pulling his arms from his grip. "We better get going, okay, it's getting late."

She stared at him uncertainly, wondering what the big deal was. She still didn't really understand what he meant by these _thoughts_ guys were having about her. But judging his odd reaction... _it must be bad._ She pondered to herself with a gulp. "Uh, okay.."

The two approached the Sugar Rush entrance in awkward silence, and remained in this state through the entire monorail ride, walking through the passageway to her game with an uncomfortable tension settling over their shoulders.

As they stood at the beginning of the rainbow road, Vanellope turned and looked at Ralph, a thousand questions gleaming in her eyes like stardust in the moonlight. "I'm sorry," she breathed, staring at him timidly.

"For what?" He asked, taking in a breath.

"Well, uh…" She looked down and scuffed her shoe on the ground. "I still don't really understand what you meant earlier, but...what I asked seems to have made things awkward, so, I'm sorry." She looked up at him with a smile smile. "Is what you were talking about really that bad? Do people suddenly wanna _hurt_ me now? Am I gonna be, like, assaulted?"

He sighed, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "It's not quite like that, kid," he eased gently. "There's a lot of stuff I don't exactly want to explain to you right now because, well...it would be super awkward. But, maybe one of your female friends will know. Maybe Calhoun even."

Vanellope raised an eyebrow. "But you're my best friend," she complained, "If it's really that bad, I'd rather hear it from you."

"Fine," Ralph groaned. "But not right now, and maybe not even tonight. You've gotta leave me some more time for this. I'm not so...good with my words."

She smirked and nudged him playfully in the side with her elbow. "It's okay, Stinkbrain. You're not so bad."

He rolled his eyes and scoffed teasingly, a grin breaking out over his face. "Whatever, runt."

They continued their walk down the road, now feeling more at ease with their tensions resolved and evaporated. Though as their feet trodded down towards her castle and they plodded on in silence, the question she had asked him still burned in his brain.

 _If only she knew,_ he pondered, his gut twisting. _She'd probably be disgusted by me. I'm a little disgusted at myself._ Yet still, he couldn't help the few passing thoughts that wandered through his brain when he looked at her. _How could some bratty little kid with dirty hair turn out to be...so…_ He stopped himself halfway, gulping quietly. He stared up at the sky as they reached the end of the road and continued on towards the castle.

Scattered clusters of candy foliage surrounded them, sleek surfaces twinkling under the light of the stars. The ground felt smoother than before, as if someone had crushed and pounded it more tightly together.

When they reached the stretch of road leading to the castle, Ralph noticed the immediate difference. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "I don't have to feel like I'm walking a marathon every time I come down here now!"

Vanellope smirked up at him silently, rolling her eyes and turning away. He scoffed. _Someone's silent for once._ As much as he wanted to say that, he was kind of enjoying the silence himself.

Candy cane trees lined the now short walkway on either side, their tops curling over to create a sort of canopy overhead. Their bright, smooth surfaces gleamed in the moonlight and shone in contrast to their dark surroundings.

"It's really beautiful here at night," Vanellope breathed, echoing Ralph's thoughts. She glanced back at him over her shoulder, blushing slightly. "By the way, thanks for walking me back."

He nodded with a smile and she turned back to look ahead. _I still don't know what's up with that whole big thing of his,_ she pondered. _But whatever it is, he apparently thinks there is some sort of danger for me...So, I guess it means he cares._

The two finally reached the castle entrance and she turned around to look at him. "Well," she said softly, "If you wanna come in for a little you can, or you can head out now. It is pretty late. And we have game day tomorrow, as usual."

"Yeah...I think I'll just head back now," he responded lightly, smiling down at the gamer in front of him.

"Okay," she said cheerily, though an unexplainable feeling of disappointment settled itself in her stomach. "Goodnight Stinkbrain," she said through a grin, trying to suppress the odd feelings stirring around inside of her.

"Goodnight, brat," he responded snarkily. They stood there silently for a few moments. Before the upgrade, she was never afraid to hug him or climb onto his shoulder when they said goodbye. But now...something felt different - off. She felt nervous, unsure. She wondered if that kind of affection between them was somehow inappropriate. She gazed at him with sad, distant eyes. He furrowed his brow at her, but wasn't sure how to approach the situation.

"You know, you can still hug me if you want," he affirmed teasingly, though his smile held a sort of gentleness, as if he had guessed her worries. She smiled brightly and flung herself toward him with no regards.

Stifling a chuckle, he let out an "oof!" as the girl barreled into him. He easily wrapped his arms around her back in a friendly hug, bending himself down to rest his chin on the top of her head. She eased into his grip with a sigh.

"This feels different from before," she admitted softly, her voice muffled against his chest.

He gulped. "How so?" He asked nervously.

"I don't know," she pondered aloud. "It's still nice, just...different." The two separated after a few silent moments, and he looked down at her curiously. "Well, bye-bye, loser," she snickered, playfully pushing his arm.

He sighed dramatically, flinging his arms up in the air. "After all I've done for you!" He exclaimed, grinning broadly. "What's a guy gotta do to be treated with some respect?"

She giggled, crossing her arms as her hazel eyes gleamed lovingly.

"Fine, goodbye kid," he said with a smirk. "Seeya tomorrow. And try not to get anymore sprinkles stuck on your face."

Vanellope rolled her eyes, watching him as he turned and started on his way back to his game. After watching him walk about halfway down the road from the castle, she retired inside and made the trek up to her bedroom.

After changing and settling in for the night, she lay in bed, mindlessly staring up at the ceiling as a bout of restlessness overcame her. Suddenly, all of the implications Ralph had made about her came swarming into her brain. She shivered at the thought of somebody wanting to harm, or as he put it, _take advantage_ of her. _Wait a minute…_ A sudden realization dawned on her. _He was talking about what I look like, and how I look, and I think he said something about perverted thoughts? Intimate things? Does that mean…_ She gulped, clutching the blankets closer to her. _Am I in danger?_ She glanced towards her bedroom door, heart pounding in her head.

 _What if the other racers decide they don't want me as President anymore? What if the update made them remember what they used to think of me? What if they...what if…_ The terrorizing thoughts bubbled up inside her mind and she tossed and turned in her bed for what felt like eons. When she turned to look at the small clock resting on her bedside table, however, it had only been an hour. Letting out a groan, she smothered her face in her pillow and screwed her eyes shut as tight as she could, trying to drown out the countless fearful scenarios that were running through her head. She suddenly felt unsafe and terribly, terribly alone in her giant castle. She wished she had a friend, at least in one of the other wings, to comfort her and ease her restless mind. _I can't sleep like this, all alone. Not after what Ralph said to me._

After about another half hour of laying by herself in the dark, Vanellope flung herself out of bed and hastily ran to the wall, flicking on the lights in a dazed panic. She stared cautiously around the room, her eyes scanning every crevice and corner in trepidation, somehow expecting some guy to leap out from some hiding place and lunge at her.

When she finally felt satisfied that nobody was there, she relaxed and walked back over to her end table. She picked it up, seeing that it read clearly, _12:37 a.m._ With a sigh, she set it back down on its surface, wondering how in the name of Sugar Rush she was ever going to get some sleep.

An idea suddenly lit up her head like a lightbulb. _Ralph's!_ Yes, she would have to make the walk there all alone, but... _oh, right, I have a car. Doofus._ She let out an exhale of relief, smiling softly to herself. _I just hope he won't mind an unexpected visitor. I mean, I guess I could go down to Candlehead's or Taffyta's, but…_ She glanced warily around her room. _I'm still uncertain about them. At least with Ralph around, I know I'm safe. Like he said, who knows what the update could've done to the guys around here._ All of the other racers lived in a small, secluded neighborhood. She didn't exactly feel safe going down there and sleeping in such close proximity to the guys. _Thanks, Ralph,_ she thought sarcastically.

She opted to take off her shorts and pull on some comfortable, turquoise leggings and pulled her hoodie on over her pale pink tank top. She huffed, pulling lightly at the hem of her now cropped jacket. "What's the point of this?" she breathed in irritation. "This does no good for keeping me warm." She flung the thing off of her and rummaged through her closet. She finally managed to find a hoodie that wasn't cropped; it was a pale grey, soft number with mint colored details swirled throughout the design. She pulled that on over her head and combed her fingers gently through her tumbling black hair as it settled over her shoulders before she finally decided she was ready. Pulling on her boots, she hurried out the door of her room.

* * *

The drive to her game's exit went by very quickly; it probably only took around five minutes. _I'm glad I thought of this,_ she mused as she rolled her car up to the monorail. _Do I even need to take this thing?_ She glanced around the monorail and looked into the gaping hole of the wire. _Nah._

Somewhat cautiously, she drove her car around the monorail and started steering it into the electric tunnel. Upon entering, she realized nothing bad was happening, and began to zoom through the circuits. Fresh, cool air sent her hair dancing crazily around her and the small sparks of beautiful circuitry that lit up around her set her head ablaze with awe and wonder. _Wow..._ she took in a breath, skillfully steering her vehicle through the dark tunnel. _This is beautiful._

Finally, she made it out of the tunnel, immediately slowing down as she veered into Game Central Station. Noticing a few drunken men hanging around Tapper's, she picked up her speed once more, heart drumming nervously in her ears as she smoothly coasted through the Fix It Felix, Jr. outlet and continued her journey through the wire tunnel for that game as well.

Vanellope easily drove her way through Fix It Felix, Jr. and approached the neighborhood of houses where Ralph resided. She slowly eased up to the front of his house, nervously glancing around her, and parked next to his front steps. _Surely he won't mind me being here, right?_ She climbed clumsily out of her car, still not used to the size difference. The cars had also been remodeled for their update, and she had been disappointed to find that the cart her and Ralph baked together was gone. Now, she had a sleek turquoise colored vehicle with smooth cream colored lines and perfectly created details. She missed the messy construction her and Ralph had crafted together. With one final glance towards her cart, she walked up the stairs to Ralph's front door.

Usually she would have obnoxiously banged on his door and shouted his name right up until he opened it, but something different inside her now told her that maybe this wasn't the best idea. She raised her arm up and knocked firmly but politely five times before bringing her arm back down and waiting.

Sure enough, being the light sleeper he was, Vanellope was able to hear his footsteps through the door only a minute or so later. The door opened slowly to reveal a tired and slightly agitated wrecker standing behind it.

His eyes immediately widened and he stood straight when he saw the girl in front of him. "Vanellope!" He exclaimed. "Why are you here this late?!" She looked away sheepishly and scuffed the ground with her shoe. "No matter," he sighed, standing away from the door and gesturing his arm inside. "Come in."

She hesitantly shuffled into his house and he softly closed the front door behind her. "Now what's wrong?" He questioned, facing her with his arms crossed over his chest and one eyebrow raised.

"I-uhm…" She tried to form the right words, suddenly feeling bashful and embarrassed of what she was about to admit. "Well, what you told me...I couldn't stop thinking about it, and I...I couldn't sleep."

She timidly looked up at him and his gaze softened considerably. He gave a small chuckle. "Sorry about that," he murmured. "I didn't mean to scare you that bad. I promise you're okay though. It's not like something is very likely to happen. I just didn't wanna risk it," he eased.

She nodded, biting her lip. "O-okay," she answered. "I drove here," she informed him. "So you don't have to worry about me coming here alone."

"Okay," he sighed. "Well, come on, it's late. Let's get you settled in for the night." When he started leading her into his bedroom, she stopped in her tracks and a light blush rose to her cheeks.

"W-wait!" She exclaimed. He turned and looked at her inquisitively. "I-I can just sleep out here on the couch."

"No," he said firmly. "You're a guest. And a girl. You can have the bed; I'll take the couch."

She furrowed her brow at him. "How does that make any sense? You're much bigger than I am."

"Don't worry," he chuffed with a smile. "The couches pull out." Vanellope sighed and continued to follow him into his room. "Now come on, go ahead and get settled. I'm ready to go back to sleep.

Vanellope nervously pulled herself up into the huge bed and crawled over to the pillows, where she tentatively lifted up the blankets and shimmied herself down under them. "Oh, uhm," she said sheepishly, suddenly sitting up and sliding the light grey hoodie off of her body.

Ralph's face flushed slightly at the sight of her lifting it up over her head; a sliver of bare skin peeked out from underneath her tank top as she lifted her arms up. She haphazardly flung her hoodie on the floor somewhere and settled back down under the covers with a sheepish expression on her face.

He tried not to think about how cute and innocent she looked with a pale blush covering her face and with her dark, silky hair strewn messily about her shoulders. He also tried not to think about the tight tank top she wore, or the way the leggings perfectly shaped her legs and…

He pried himself from his thoughts and gave her a small smile. "Goodnight Vanellope," he whispered, walking away from the bed.

"Goodnight Ralph," she whispered back, her eyes tracking his every move as he quietly left the room and shut the door.

Settling down into the comfortable, billowing blankets and cushiony pillows, she closed her eyes and finally felt her nervous thoughts rest at peace. Knowing Ralph was just in the other room, she was able to fall quickly asleep.

Meanwhile, as Ralph was settling an extra blanket over the now fully converted couch, his thoughts wandered back to the beautiful girl in his room; his best friend. The way things were slowly progressing, he thought that maybe he could get used to it.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**

 **Sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter than the rest of them. Hopefully, the length of the last chapter made up for it a little lol, considering that was my longest yet. I just felt like where I ended it felt natural and was the best place to cut it off. I have to admit, it is a little difficult trying to write without much support or many reviews, but I'll keep pushing on. Anyway, like always, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

Ralph rose with the sun the next day. He slept somewhat restlessly, his mind pressed constantly with pestering thoughts of the girl in the room over. He wondered what made her decide to come down to his house when she couldn't sleep.

 _She feels safe with you._ The thought did comfort him slightly, but it also worried him; it put that much more pressure on him not to hurt her. He could feel a small flame inside of him growing, but he knew if it turned into real, tangible feelings...it could be dangerous to the both of them. And his first priority, though the thought was strangely distressful, was not to love her, but to protect her.

Some part of his mind still saw the naive little kid he knew before. And he knew that part of her life still lived on, even though she _was_ blossoming into a young woman. He moseyed slowly into his kitchen, pale dawn light streaming in through the round window above his counter. He stared outside at the 8-bit sun, which peeked just barely over the digital horizon.

He made himself a cup of hot coffee and sipped it slowly as he continued to stare out the window, mulling over his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Vanellope was just stirring in the midsts of Ralph's comfortable blankets and pillows. She stretched comfortably, for once realizing the new length of all her limbs. She curiously stretched her arms and legs out to their full capacity, testing out her new dimensions. She smiled excitedly, looking at her long, lean limbs and lightly toned muscles. _I think I'm starting to like this whole update thing._

She suddenly remembered where she was and her face heated with color. She sat up in bed, taking in her surroundings, considering every detail. The night before she hadn't thought to look around; the only thing on her mind had been sleep. _And Ralph,_ her own mind seemed to tease her.

She looked around at the simple yet charming furnishings. The room was decorated with the same deep blues and lime greens as the rest of the house, with dark oak furniture. She noticed an open door leading to what seemed to be a bathroom. She almost went charging in, but wondered if she should ask Ralph about it first. _He might have another bathroom he prefers me using._

She climbed out of bed and clumsily ran her fingers through some of the bigger knots in her hair, though she knew her efforts were near hopeless without a real hair brush, which she suspected Ralph didn't own; his hair never exactly looked well-kempt. She giggled to herself at the thought.

She made her way over to Ralph's dresser, where a mirror resided on the wall above it. She tidied her hair enough to look somewhat presentable, and took a moment to appreciate its length. Now, loose, her hair spilled in messy waves over her shoulders and reached to about her waist. Grinning, she collected it and settled it over the front of one shoulder. With a satisfied shrug, she adjusted her tank top and headed out of the bedroom.

She slowly opened the door, noticing Ralph was already up, and standing by the kitchen window, holding a large mug and sipping at it. Sheepishly, she walked towards him, softly shutting the door behind him. He must have been deep in thought, she pondered. He didn't even notice her approach.

"Morning, Stinkbrain!" She greeted brightly, flashing a confident grin towards him, though her heart fluttered abhorrently in her chest. He turned to look at her, his stare somewhat dazed and bewildered. He risked a quick glance up and down her figure, noticeably gulping as he held the mug to his mouth to try and hide his quickly-forming blush.

Of course, still being naive to these little cues, she didn't notice anything. He silently thanked User when she had no reaction to is wandering eyes. He put his mug down shakily on the counter behind him. He didn't exactly know how to deal with this situation. He had never had a girl spend the night before, let alone an attractive young woman.

"Morning," he responded dully, turning away and resuming his dubious position by the window. Vanellope frowned and seated herself at the table with a sigh. "You should probably head back to your game," he continued, still not looking at her. Her brow furrowed and she wondered why he was suddenly acting so cold.

"Oooooookay," she said, dragging the word out slowly. "I-I guess I'll be on my way then." She sighed, staring at her hands as they rested, clasped on the top of his dining table. She realized she finally fit properly into the chair. _There's another plus, I suppose._ "I should be getting ready anyway," she muttered, mostly to herself. She suspected he wasn't really listening.

Yet something inside made her want to stay. Confused by her own confusing feelings, she figured it was probably best that she left. Ralph certainly didn't act like he wanted her hanging around. "Bye, Ralph," she said quietly, a sudden feeling of disheartenment filling her.

He grunted in response, taking another rather long gulp of coffee. She threw him an agitated glare and hurried out of the room and out the front door. He flinched when he heard the front door being closed somewhat louder than normal. He relaxed from the tense state he had been in and let out a long sigh.

 _There's no use ruffling your feathers too much over this_ , he thought to himself. _Pushing her away a little is better than leading her on. Now that she's grown, she's bound to experiencing some confusing things...I don't wanna encourage anything._ Yet even as he tried to assure himself that what he had done was right, and good for her in the long run...He still felt something press against his chest and his heart seemed to tug at his insides in a disconcerted manner. It seemed to scream at him, " _Ralph! What are you doing, you moron?! You hurt the poor girl! What's the matter? Scared of a little emotion?!"_

He groaned loudly, resisting the temptation to wreck things as he clenched his fists on top of the counter in front of him. Before he knew where his feet were taking him, he was scrambling to the living room and staring out one of the windows facing the street.

There she sat, in her car, head rested against her hand. She seemed to sigh before finally turning on her cart and pulling away, driving off into the distance. _Wait..._ he realized. _Is that a different cart?_ His heart sunk further down his chest at the replacement of their lovingly made creation. _It must have came with the update._ He slunk back into his kitchen and sat at the dining room table. _Guess now all that's left to do is wait until game day starts._

* * *

As Vanellope walked into the castle, feeling more tired and disheveled than when she woke up, she was greeted with a full on body slam of a hug.

"Oof!" She cried out as the blonde figure tackled her to the ground. "Taffyta!" She exclaimed, grunting under the weight of the hyperactive racer. "What's the matter with you? I've just woke up!"

The blonde stood up, helping her to her feet, laughing loudly all the while. Vanellope rubbed her now tender rump gently, giving her a questioning glare. "Where were you anyway?" Taffyta inquired, looking at her with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and crossing her arms. "Did you spend the night at another racer's place?"

"Uh, no," she admitted, suddenly feeling reluctant to divulge any more information. "But we can talk about that later. I need to get dressed. And I am _hungry."_

"No worries!" Taffyta chimed, skipping away towards the kitchen. "You go get dressed and I'll make us breakfast. Just as long as you tell me _everything_ after we eat."

Vanellope didn't have a chance to resist; her friend was already in the other room. With a small sigh, she rubbed her head and trudged up to her bedroom. She rummaged through her closet and pulled out comfortable looking cream colored racing pants and a dark pink tank as well as one of her new mint green cropped hoodies. She quickly dressed herself, and washed her face in the bathroom before pulling up her hair into its customary high ponytail. She frowned at herself in the mirror, making a split second decision to try something new as she wound her hair into a messy bun atop her head. Smiling, she made sure it was mostly secure with bobby pins and let some strands of hair out to frame her face. She grabbed her gloves and goggles before bounding back down the staircase.

Taffyta was finishing up her infamous strawberry shortcake pancakes when she made her way to the kitchen. She served up a heaping plate to Vanellope, who eyed it with a practically watering mouth. "Taffyta, you are my _savior_ ," she groaned, quickly diving into the delicious meal.

The other girl laughed and rolled her eyes, seating herself beside her and partaking in the small feast, gorging herself on pancakes as well.

After they finally finished eating, Vanellope internally searched for an excuse not to talk about her and Ralph as she collected the plates and started washing up. "So," she began, "How was your little exploration of Sugar Rush yesterday? What all has changed?"

"Oh, no, Miss Von Schweetz," Taffyta teased, wagging a finger playfully in the air. "No deetz from me until I get some information from you."

Vanellope sighed, scrubbing the messy platters and surrendering herself to the realization that _nothing_ would keep this insistent girl off of her back. "I went to Ralph's," she mumbled, her face flushing bright pink.

" _WHAT?!"_ Taffyta hollered, springing up to stand on the stool. " _RALPH'S?!"_

Vanellope shook her head. _This is exactly the sort of reaction I was trying to avoid._ "So what? I've been to Ralph's plenty of times," she defended, though she knew her case was weak.

"Come on, Van, don't be so naive. That was _before_ your upgrade. Now you're _hot_ , girl, and there's no doubt Ralph has noticed!"

"He has said that guys are looking at me differently now," Vanellope admitted, her face growing hotter by the second as she refused to make eye contact.

"So, what happened?" Taffyta pestered eagerly, settling back down in her seat with an excited glimmer in her eyes.

"Nothing!" Vanellope cried out, holding up a half-washed whisk in the air and staring at her incredulously. "I literally just went there, and went to bed. He slept in the living room."

"Oh," the other racer responded, sounding highly disappointed. Vanellope sighed, rolling her eyes playfully.

" _Anyway,_ " she diverted. "Answer _my_ question now." She looked up at her friend with a snarky grin.

"Well," Taffyta began, her tone growing strangely serious. "There's really only one major change that I noticed."

"What's that?" Vanellope pressed curiously, intrigued to know what all the update had brought upon their lives.

"Well...I don't know how you're not going to feel about this, but, we have a new racer."

The brunette perked up excitedly. "So? That's awesome!" She enthused, grinning brightly. "I can't wait to show them the ropes."

"Wait, before you get your candy canes all in a twist, there's just one thing," Taffyta hissed, her voice dropping as she leaned over the counter conspiratorially.

"What? Spit it out!" Vanellope urged, her heart pounding rapidly.

The blonde in front of her gulped apprehensively.

"She's your sister."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** **Hey guys, not to sound like I'm begging or desperate or anything, but I would really appreciate some feedback for this. It really helps motivate me to keep going, even if it's just a quick couple of positive words, it really does help. Anyway, thank you all for your continued support in reading this, I love you guys lol, enjoy!~**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

The fork Vanellope was just finished washing fell to the floor with a loud clatter. "She _what?!_ "

Taffyta smirked at her. "I knew you would react this way. But yup, turns out you've got a younger, coded sister now. Your lonely nights in the castle are over!" She chimed in a sing-songy voice.

Vanellope's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean she doesn't have a place of her own? Where did she stay last night?"

"Turn around, glitch," Taffyta snickered teasingly. Vanellope turned to look over at the entrance to the kitchen, the one that led to her wing.

Standing hesitantly in the doorway to the kitchen was another female racer who looked to be around the same age as the rest of them, though she was supposedly supposed to be younger. She bore a small, questioning smile, though Vanellope could see past her timid exterior into the confident glimmer in her dark green eyes. Her mint green colored hair was pulled into a neat side ponytail with a few loose strands hanging loose on the other side of her face.

She wore white leggings and a white tank top with an unzipped sleeveless pink jacket and short pink skirt. Her gloves were white, along with the pair of goggles perched above her forehead. She looked ready for racing. Vanellope stopped her washing, slowly approaching the oddly familiar girl as Taffyta eagerly took her place to finish the clean up.

The brunette raised an eyebrow curiously, clenching her fists unknowingly at her sides. A thousand different emotions raced through her brain as she came to a stop a few feet in front of her kin. Confusion, shock, excitement, fear, anger, and a strange sense of familial bond all crowded in her mind, yelling their opinions rudely and forcefully as they tried to dictate her reaction. Pushing aside her emotions, she tried to keep a level head as she started to speak.

"W-who are you?" She asked, struggling to keep her distance as the strange urge to pull this stranger into an embrace overwhelmed her. But she planted her feet firmly to the floor, still unsure of what to make of this; she still questioned whether Taffyta's information was true.

"I'm Azalea," she breathed, slipping her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "Azalea Von Schweetz."

"So it is true?" Vanellope questioned, warily taking another step closer. "Y-you're really...my…" She trailed off, eyeing the girl inquisitively.

"Sister?" Azalea finished, smiling nervously at her code-related kin. "Yeah, it's true. I mean, just look." She held up her hands and gently glitched; hot, timid turquoise pixels jumped and twitched around her as she watched the expression on Vanellope's face slowly turned into that of wonder.

Without saying a word, the older gamer flung herself into the arms of her sister, burying her face onto her shoulder as Azalea's glitching briefly sent Vanellope's code twisting and bugging out tremorously, though she stopped a moment after, quickly wrapping her arms around her to return the embrace. "Sister," she whispered, her eyes watering and spilling over with tears of exuberance.

The word felt odd and foreign on Vanellope's tongue, like she didn't know quite what to do with it. She pulled herself away with a toothy grin and wiped the tears trailing down her cheeks. She saw that Azalea bore the same cheesy smile and her eyes glimmered threateningly as well, as if they were ready to start releasing the waterworks. "Welcome to Sugar Rush," she told her warmly, gripping her arms with a newfound certainty.

* * *

As the three made their way down to the track for the start of game day and settled into the group of racers waiting there, Vanellope experienced a realization. "Wait," she said, turning to Azalea. "You weren't at the roster race yesterday. You can't race today."

The light in the green-haired girl's eyes dimmed and she lowered her head, looking at the ground. Vanellope was going to turn to Taffyta for advice, but she had already started chattering with Candlehead and Rancis several yards away. Vanellope sighed, turning back to look at her sister uncertainly. "Well, I guess you could just race with us, to get used to the track. You just won't be playable, but I don't think it would hurt any."

The other girl brightened immediately, and nodded her head up and down enthusiastically. "Thanks, sis!" She chimed, bounding over to her cart excitedly. "Hey, come check out my cart!"

It was built almost identically to Vanellope's though it was slightly sharper with harsher edges and lines and was a frosty white color. It glimmered and shone under the sunlight, revealing it's beautiful coating of sugar that turned a million different colors under the light. In the dark it may have looked plain, considering this was the only detail, but out in the sun it came alive.

"What do you think?" She called as she pulled her goggles down over her eyes.

Vanellope smiled and stood with her hands on her hips, goggles loosely hung around her neck. She didn't really like racing with them; they were too constricting and blocked her vision a bit. She found that her sister's bright eyed enthusiasm and childish eagerness was endearing. _I wonder if this is what Ralph thought of me when he met me._ The role of older sister was suddenly becoming more appealing.

"Wow," she called out, "That's gorgeous, Lea!" The unintentional nickname stuck itself to her tongue, as if it was programmed to be there. She blinked in surprise at the gesture that felt purely made from habit, even though she had barely known this girl for an hour. "It looks like frosting!"

Nevertheless, Azalea didn't miss a beat. She grinned as wide as it seemed possible. "Thanks!" It was as if she was already accustomed to it.

 _I guess her code is already programmed with this information. It's how she was made; it's all she knows. I'm still having to take in all this new processing for myself and adapt to all the changes._ Vanellope smiled and stood by the side of her car. The sound of a quarter alert rang out through their game, and she readied herself for the User's selection. All the thoughts of that morning were dismissed and the endless possibilities for change in her life filled her veins with determination. She lowered herself into her car and got prepared to drive.

 _Time to see what my so-called sister is made of._

The User picked Vanellope that time around, and as the race started, she zoomed easily into the lead, rocketing ahead of all the other racers. As they wound around Sugar Rush's tracks at ferocious speeds, their velocity carried them around sharp turns and through bumpy terrains. For the most part, the race carried on like usual and Vanellope didn't experience much difficulty keeping away from the competition.

That is, until the last stretch of the race, the brunette noticed a certain green-eyed smarty pulling up beside her, flashing a cocky smirk her way as the two came neck-and-neck. Azalea's mint green ponytail flew majestically in the wind, mimicking the sail of a boat. She pressed harder on her gas. However, Vanellope managed to glitch ahead of her slightly, but before she could even register what was happening, Lea glitched too and rammed her vehicle forcefully into the side of Vanellope's cart.

Eyes wide in fear of the User's reaction to her being thrown off the track, she quickly glitched herself back into place and throttled her gear into the most intense setting it had. Azalea's car was tottering slightly, and she struggled to turn herself the right direction and keep going.

Vanellope zoomed past her and through the finish line, leaping out of her car as it came to a stop and performing her signature victory dance half-heartedly for the player. She threw in an air kiss for dramatic effect.

As soon as the User finished and they all returned to starting positions, Vanellope marched towards Azalea's position on the track. Her steps were firm and furious, her glare fiery enough to smolder metal.

"Azalea," she said in a low, calm voice of steel as she stood on the other side of her sister's car. The younger racer looked sheepish but also exhilarated, her cheeks flushed from the wind and her eyes bright from the heart-pounding venture. "What in the name of Sugar Rush were you thinking?! If I had gone off the tracks just then and User recognized there was an unidentified racer messing up the game, they could easily get us unplugged!" By the end of her sentence she found herself shouting, fists clenched at her side. "And that was a dirty move anyway. If you want to earn the respect of the other racers, you can't do stuff like that!"

Azalea stared down at the ground in front of her, scuffing it with her foot. She tried to look humble, but something strange and unexplainable glinted in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, averting her gaze.

"Okay," Vanellope sighed. "Apology accepted, but look, for now you've gotta lay low. And you shouldn't try winning the races until you're actually on the roster. Either hang back some, or don't race today. Got it?"

Lea nodded, though she looked somewhat distressed. "Alright," Vanellope murmured, turning and walking back over to her car. "Come on, guys, back in your places! Nothing to spectate here!" She clapped her hands as the sound of her voice was drowned out by another quarter alert. "Move it, move it! Come on, let's go!" The rest of the racers reluctantly pulled themselves away from where they had clustered around Vanellope and her sister, treading back to their spots. Vanellope briefly wondered if this is what Calhoun felt like sometimes.

* * *

The rest of the game day went by normally; _Thank User,_ Vanellope thought as she sat in her car, exhausted from the long, tiring races. The gamers seemed to have chosen her even more than usual. _Maybe they're really liking my upgrade design._ She wearily climbed out of her car as a familiar group of racers approached. Candlehead, Rancis, and Taffyta all encircled her, while she noticed Azalea hanging back beside her cart. The girl glanced nervously over at them before kneeling down to work with something in her vehicle.

"Maybe we should go bring her over?" Candlehead suggested, her brow furrowing with concern as she looked at the racer sitting all by herself. "She could probably use some good friends to show her the ropes around here."

Vanellope glanced over at her. "Alright," she sighed. "Why don't we all go to the castle to hang out? I think Ralph is coming over here today." She noticed Taffyta and Candlehead share a knowing look, and exasperated, she barked, "Okay, what is it? Spit it out."

"It's just," Candlehead started timidly, though there was a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. "Well, you've been seeing a lot of Ralph lately. And you know, ever since the update...things are bound to get complicated."

"So?" She complained defensively, crossing her arms. "We hang out with Rancis all the time! Does that mean it's gonna get complicated with him? For all of us? Cause that sounds _very_ complicated."

The blonde racer blushed deeply, opening his mouth in shock. He glanced warily between the three girls, deciding to sit this one out.

"Come on," Taffyta urged, slyly tugging on Vanellope's hoodie with a playful wink. "Let's go back to the castle. Wouldn't wanna keep Ralphie-poo waiting." Vanellope groaned, throwing up her arms as they went to collect Azalea and drive back to the castle.

The five racers settled down into the kitchen as usual, lounging around at the counters and chatting casually. Azalea remained fairly quiet, though Vanellope noticed her eyes were constantly flitting between everyone else; she appeared to be quite the observer. After a few minutes though, she began piping up more, and easily impressing Rancis, Taffyta, and Candlehead with her easy, snarky humor and lighthearted comments.

Vanellope continued participating in the conversation, though as she watched her new sister begin to situate herself amongst the group of friends, something in the pit of her stomach felt uneasy. _I suppose I have no reason to feel like this. She's been perfectly normal. She's a good girl. Yet...why do I get this weird feeling that something's not right?_

Several loud knocks on the door signaled her long-awaited guest. She started scurrying towards the main hall, with Lea trailing happily behind. "I'm coming too!" She announced. Vanellope looked over her shoulder at her, her face unreactive. Rancis, Taffyta, and Candlehead exchanged amused glances.

Nevertheless, Vanellope hastily opened the front doors and greeted Ralph with a toothy grin. "Sure took ya long enough, Stinkbrain," she greeted playfully, stepping aside to let him in.

"Yeah, well, you don't…" He trailed off when he noticed the new girl. "Who's this?" He questioned, gesturing towards Azalea with his arm.

Vanellope opened her mouth to answer, but her sister beat her to it. "The name's Azalea," she responded with a cheeky grin, reaching her hand out to Ralph. "But you can call me Lea, handsome."

Vanellope's face flushed instantly and she stared at the two warily, her brow furrowing deeper than it ever had before.

"Wow," Ralph laughed, taking Lea's hand and shaking it gently. He turned towards Vanellope. "Why can't you act more like little miss sugar over here; all your nicknames for me are just insults."

She gaped at him, all words flying out of her head as her face turned a deeper scarlet. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the ground, not knowing how to react.

"I'm Vanny's sister," Lea continued, still beaming.

The brunette glared at her through glistening eyes. "I never said you could call me that," she fumed. "My _name_ is Vanellope, short-stop, don't forget it." Before either gamer could respond to what she had said, she stormed loudly out of the room, her footsteps pounding into the kitchen.

The trio still waiting inside looked up at her in alarm. "A-are you okay, Van?" Candlehead queried, her brow furrowing in concern. "What's wrong?"

Vanellope sat down on a stool between her and Taffyta with a sigh, letting her face slump down into her hands. "Nothing," she mumbled. "I'm fine."

"Wooaaahhh," Taffyta exclaimed, throwing a look towards the doorway. "Are Ralph and Azalea out there on their own?"

"Don't remind me," Vanellope replied, face sinking deeper into her hands as her shoulders slouched desolutely.

"Was she hitting on him?" Taffyta prodded, trying to meet Vanellope's eyes. "Did she seriously risk your wrath by flirting with your man?"

"He's not my man!" Vanellope insisted, sitting up straight and throwing her hands up in the air. She brought them back down hard to the counter. "But yes," she added, quieter.

Taffyta hissed in a breath. "Ouch."

"I'm sure if you talked to her about it, she'd understand," Rancis offered, eyeing his friend with a searching gaze.

"Yeah, if they end up alone in a room together, I'm not sure Vanellope will give her a chance to understand. She may come out of it missing a hand," Taffyta joked, nudging her brunette friend with her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm just beginning to think this whole sister thing wasn't a good idea," Vanellope muttered, staring down at the counter.

"Hey," Taffyta eased. "Code-sister or not, we're your family first. We'll always have your back." Vanellope met the gazes of her three best friends in Sugar Rush.

"Thanks guys," she murmured. "I love you." The three quickly crowded her in a jostling group hug, and once again the kitchen was filled with laughter.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the delayed update for this, and the shorter-than-ever content of this chapter. This summer has been pretty hectic for me, and I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things after being busy for a while and not getting the chance to write as much. I'll try to get another chapter out for you tomorrow, though sadly I cannot guarantee it. I've had a little bit of a writer's block, which kinda shows in this chapter. But I promise I'm not giving up on this story. I'm in way too deep for that. Anyway, I'll try and keep on top of the updates as much as possible. Just bear with me for now. Thanks guys! Love you! ^_^**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

Ralph wasn't sure how he found himself in the situation he was caught in. Vanellope's supposed sister, Azalea, stood in front of him, smiling eagerly up to him, moments after the brunette's angry departure.

She put her hands on her hips and gave him a flirty smile. "Uhm…" Ralph shifted uncomfortably back and forth, unsure of what to say. His thoughts drifted back to Vanellope, and his heart ached slightly at how upset she seemed. He looked everywhere but at the smarty in front of him. "So, uh, I guess you're part of the upgrade, then?"

She giggled softly. "Yeah," she replied. He glanced down, furrowing his brow at the mischievous glint in her eyes. _This girl is strange._ She gently twirled a strand of her ponytail in her fingers. "I was coded as Vanellope's sister. So now, looks like she'll have to make room for one more in the castle."

"I'm sure that won't really be a problem, considering, you know, it's a castle...It's not really lacking in room." She laughed way too much for what he had said, playfully putting a hand on his arm. _I hope she realizes that wasn't a joke._

"So, what's your name? Ralph?" She questioned. He shifted slightly so her hand fell away from his arm.

"Uh, yeah." _Didya even need to ask?_ After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he heard a sudden burst of mingled laughter erupt from the kitchen. He looked curiously over to the doorway. "I'm gonna head in there," he stated before somewhat clumsily hurrying towards the other room. He was surprised to notice Azalea didn't follow him. He didn't look back to see where she had gone, however. He stepped into the kitchen and smiled lovingly, eyebrows lifting at the sight he was greeted with.

Vanellope was surrounded by all three of her Sugar Rush encased her in a friendly embrace, and she sat at the center, giggling loudly. "Okay, okay!" She exclaimed, her voice muffled underneath the mass of bodies around her. "You're suffocating me!"

Ralph's grin grew wider. He felt a sudden surge of appreciation towards Taffyta, Candlehead, and Rancis. He had mixed feelings about them after Vanellope was restored to her rightful place, but he found himself slowly warming up to them. He was glad she had someone to comfort and care for her when he couldn't.

He approached the cluster of smarties and they slowly separated, laughing and sharing sneaky glances with each other. Vanellope looked up at him, a small flush creeping over her face. She flashed him her signature smile, but something in her eyes read uncertainty and even betrayal.

"Hey," he greeted softly. "Uhm, you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered softly. "It's just been a hectic day."

Ralph nodded in understanding. Behind the counter, Rancis, Taffyta, and Candlehead chatted softly. "So...that girl, is she really your-?" He cut himself off, staring at Vanellope intently.

"Yeah," she sighed, scratching her head in contemplation. "I don't know about her yet."

"She seems friendly enough," Ralph admitted, eyeing her to see her reaction.

"Yeah, well," Vanellope huffed, turning away and frowning. "She's really reckless on the track. Tried knocking me off of it today."

"Really?" He asked incredulously.

She sighed in response and nodded. "Anyway," she continued, looking up at him. "I don't wanna talk about her right now."

"Oh, o-kay," he conferred. "That's alright."

Him and Vanellope turned towards their three other friends, and chatted absentmindedly for a few minutes before Azalea came traipsing quietly into the kitchen.

She stood near the back of the room, observing from afar, going mostly unnoticed by the others. She observed the group dynamics. She noticed the friendly and sometimes affectionate banter between Ralph and Vanellope. She also took notice of their wistful glances towards each other, as if they were each harboring an unspoken longing. She smirked. _There's one more thing._

She could also tell that Taffyta and Rancis held an unspoken tension in their relationship. Every now and then, the blonde would flash him a flirty smirk and he would stare at her in confused wonder, cheeks lighting up like a flame.

Meanwhile, as the minty-haired girl observed from a distance, Vanellope felt her heart surging with new, thrilling emotions. She finally felt a genuine sense of companionship with her fellow racers. It was like she was realizing that they really cared for her; she got the sense they would stick by her side no matter what. What happened in the past didn't seem to matter.

She gave Ralph a small smile and he gave her one back, looking happy but also concerned. His brow furrowed as he looked down at her tenderly. As her friends chatted eagerly in the background of her thoughts, she drifted happily into a peaceful reverie. Even amongst all the chaotic happenings and alarming feelings, she could feel the pieces of her world slowly but surely coming together.

Ralph, her best friend first and foremost, still continued to be a blessing in her life. She leaned into him affectionately, resting her head comfortable against his chest without thinking, and closed her eyes. Sighing happily, she smiled and let the tiredness from that day's racing seep into her bones as she relaxed comfortably into her favorite wrecker.

Ralph felt his face flush slightly and looked down curiously at the brunette. Her chest rose and fell softly, and it looked as if she had already fallen asleep. Taffyta and Candlehead exchanged a knowing look and giggled quietly. Ralph looked up at them with a bewildered expression on his face.

"What?" He barked, his cheeks flushing darker.

"Nothing," Taffyta replied slyly, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Just an inside joke."

Ralph rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he grunted. Yet, as he looked down at the sleeping form resting against him, a flood of tender affection filled his heart and he gave the resting figure a small smile. _If only she knew,_ he thought to himself. _How much she means to me._

He protectively wrapped an arm around her, bringing her close. The three smarties gave him teasing looks. "What?" He groaned. "I don't want her to fall of the stool, for User's sake!"

Rancis chuckled and shook his head; his eyes sparkled with the same knowing glint as Taffyta's. Candlehead leaned against the counter, smiling playfully at him. None of them responded.

He shook his head, somewhat disgruntled but still unexplainably joyful at the feeling of feminine warmth residing in his arms. Deciding it would probably be more comfortable for her, and also secretly wanting to touch her hair, he gently released it from the bun it was in, letting his fingers linger a moment too long and brushing them carefully through the long black tresses that cascaded around her form.

He smiled to himself. Thankfully, he could feel the eyes previously held on him turn away and heard the three Sugar Rush gamers return to their casual banter. He felt his heart flutter unexpectedly in his chest, and swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Vanellope crinkled her nose slightly in her sleep and shifted, bringing her arms up against her chest and resting her small hands against him. He blinked rapidly, not sure of the clashing emotions taking up residence inside of him.

A swell of admiration for the sleeping girl awakened within him. She looked so peaceful, calm, and... _cute._ His face flushed darker than ever at the thought. It was somewhat endearing to see her in such an innocent and vulnerable state. Usually she held up a defensive barrier, and pushed forward a snarky, playful attitude. As much as he loved that side of her, he also found something inside of him longed to be around for more moments like this.

Part of him wondered what she was like when she let her defenses down. He wanted to know, more urgently than ever before. Something inside of him pushed at these feelings, warning him he was trekking into dangerous ground.

 _You shouldn't feel this way,_ his gut told him. _It's not right. She was_ _ **just**_ _a little kid._ He felt his stomach twist nervously and he let out a sigh.

 _This update will be the death of me._


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** **Hey guys! OMG it has been soooooooooooooo long since I've updated, and I am so extremely sorry! I am so flippin late with this update, and I cannot apologize enough for that. Honestly, this summer has just been so hectic, and I was gone in Tennessee for a week, then I just had one thing on top of another, and I still do, in reality. It's just been crazy, and I've barely had any free time. Also, I've kinda been hitting a bit of a slump with my writing, and trying so hard to gather up inspiration when honestly, I've just been at a loss of what to write lately. I struggled a little getting myself motivated enough to write this, but hopefully from now on things will be a smoother ride. I wanna say updates will get back to their usual schedule from now on...but this Monday I'm leaving for yet another week long trip. So this upcoming week I won't be able to post anything, considering I'll be on the mountains and won't have any internet access. Anyway, I'll try to keep writing in my spare time at least, and hopefully I will be able to post again next Saturday! I love you all, thank you for baring with me, have an amazing day! ~XOXO**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

Early that next Sunday morning, Taffyta, Candlehead, and Rancis were all gathered inside Taffyta's house in the small racer community. They sat quietly around the dining room table, sipping at coffee and orange juice and chatting absentmindedly.

Suddenly, Taffyta brought up a pressing subject that had been on all of their minds for the past few weeks.

"You know, we really need to figure out how to set Ralph and Vanellope up together," she exclaimed, setting her mug of dark coffee down decisively.

"Are you sure we should really be meddling in Vanellope's love life?" Candlehead queried nervously. "I feel like she might _legitimately_ hurt someone. And what if we mess everything up?"

Rancis glanced at her, golden brown eyes glinting uneasily. "Maybe she's right, Taffyta," he conceded. "She can be pretty scary sometimes."

Taffyta rolled her eyes and smirked. "Oh, come on, I can handle her. Besides, we won't mess up! I can overcome _aaannnyy_ challenge." The other two racers exchanged playful glances and Rancis scoffed at her cockiness.

"Okay, okay, don't get your taffy in a bunch," he teased. "If you're so sure. What do you even plan to do anyway?"

She slumped down in her seat, gaze contemplative and distant. Suddenly, she sighed, frowning in a defeated air. "I don't know," she mumbled, stirring her finger half-heartedly in her coffee. "Honestly? I seriously have no clue. I don't know the first thing about romance."

"I think," Rancis began slowly, "We need to get them alone somewhere."

"Ooh, ooh!" Taffyta suddenly sat up, eyes gleaming. "Let's lock them in a room somewhere."

"You forget, Ralph could just wreck through the walls or something," Rancis noted with a sigh, scratching his head.

The three sat in thoughtful silence for a few minutes before Candlehead piped up softly. "Maybe we can't lock them in a room, but what if we walked with them far out in Sugar Rush, and just ditched them? Like, we could hide our cars somewhere and take off without them."

"Hmm, that could work," Rancis murmured, rubbing his chin as he thought it over.

"That's a great idea," Taffyta admitted, though somewhat reluctantly (she secretly wished she had come up with it on her own). " _Although_ , we could make it even more devious and worthwhile. After all, Vanellope knows the Sugar Rush landscape like the back of her hand. All of us do, I'm sure. _I think,_ we should go _outside_ of the game. We wouldn't really have to take our cars there, we could go to EZ Living and make an excuse, like say we wanna go get popsicles or something, and just leave them."

"Oh yeah," Rancis agreed quickly, "but then we should take them out into the jungle or something. That way they don't know their way around as well, and they have a better chance of getting lost!"

Taffyta giggled mischievously and leaned forward over the table to exchange an exuberant high-five with Rancis. Candlehead, though excited, also eyed them somewhat anxiously.

"What if they never find their way back?" She wondered aloud. "Or what if _we_ get lost?"

Taffyta sighed, rubbing her forehead as she settled back down in her chair. "You're overthinking it, Candlehead," she eased impatiently. "I'm sure everything will be just fine."

"Okay," she responded uneasily. "If you say so."

"Alright," Taffyta decided, standing up and slamming her palm down on the table dramatically. "To the castle!"

* * *

When the three racers made their way into the castle's kitchen ("She really needs to start locking this door," Taffyta mumbled upon their easy entrance), they found Ralph and Azalea already up and waiting; they had been talking intermittently amid the stark silence.

"Where's Vanellope?" Candlehead questioned, eyeing the two curiously. Ralph sat at one side of the counter and Azalea stood behind the other, seemingly making a pot of coffee.

"Still not up," Ralph grumbled. He looked like he was about to light aflame from the amount of awkward tension filling the room like noxious fumes. "I thought about waking her up, but…" He trailed off, feeling unsure. He felt a lump in his throat begin to form. Before the upgrade it wouldn't have mattered any; he wouldn't mind barging in her room in the morning whenever, but now...things were _definitely_ different.

"What?" Taffyta questioned, putting her hands on her hips as she stood in front of the wrecker. "I think she'd prefer a rude awakening from you than from any of us," she teased with a smirk."

Azalea stood quietly behind the counter, observing silently like she had been over the past few days. Every chance she got, she lingered around the group of friends, barely queuing in to their conversations herself, and scrutinizing their group dynamic. Sometimes she knew the other racers, especially Vanellope, eyed her curiously, but for the most part, they were imperceptive to her schemes.

Although, she had the sneaking suspicion that Vanellope was catching on to her more and more. She was smart, of course, maybe smart enough to match Azalea's programming herself, but maybe not.

She had definitely noticed something brewing between the brunette and Ralph. Her coding screamed with competitive yearning. She knew deep inside her, that when the game's programmers designed her, they had one thing and one thing only in mind: rivalry.

Yes, Azalea Von Schweetz was Vanellope's programmed rival. She was made to bring nothing but havoc and distress to her sister's life. She felt the tug of her coding, pulling her to steal everything the Queen racer possessed. Of course, she couldn't let anyone know. For now, she had to play it off like the sweet, innocent, happy-go-lucky smarty that was brushed over her exterior.

She tuned into Taffyta and Ralph's conversation as she continued to tease and push him into proceeding into Vanellope's room.

"Come on," she urged, tugging at his polo sleeve. "Get up there! Otherwise we'll never get her down!" She exchanged gleeful looks with Candlehead and Rancis as he reluctantly stood.

"Okay, enough!" He barked, throwing up his hands. "Fine, I'll go! Just stop bugging me!"

Taffyta giggled as she continued to push the large wrecker, albeit inefficiently, towards the hallway. Grumbling incoherently, he lumbered out into the hall and began the quiet trek towards Vanellope's quarters.

His thoughts raced rapidly around his mind, whirring and buzzing aggressively in his ears. So many conflicting emotions plagued his mind. His cheeks flushed at the thought of what state the beautiful girl awaiting him would be found in.

He didn't even want to think about what kind of clothing she wore to bed these days.

Meanwhile, Vanellope was sleeping soundly underneath her soft, billowy blankets. She stirred slightly in her sleep, turning over gently and groaning softly against the pillows. She sleepily tugged the soft material closer to her face and smiled happily in her slumber.

As Ralph silently pushed open the door and wandered over to her bed, his face flushed lightly with color. He tried to repress all the adoring thoughts and feelings that tried worming their way into his heart. He gulped, stepping closer to the side of the bed until he was standing over her as she slept.

Her facial expression held that same innocent nature that he saw when she slept against his chest a few days prior. She smiled, her expression pure and unfiltered by restraint. He found he couldn't resist smiling too, as he looked down at the sleeping figure before him.

Finally, after he started to feel a little creepy for watching her sleep, he nervously pressed his hand against her shoulder. "Vanellope?" He cooed softly, voice shaking slightly. When she didn't respond, he sighed and continued to prod her shoulder with more and more pressure. "You really are a heavy sleeper, aren't you?" He sighed, chuckling tenderly and putting his hands on his hips.

He sat down on the bed beside her, eyes widening at the strange way the mattress gently conformed around his shape. He slid his hand under the covers and felt the strange, yet soft texture. "Of course her bed is a marshmallow." He rolled his eyes and shifted, looking down at her again.

"Vanellope," he said firmly, "wake up." He shook her arm somewhat aggressively, bemused when she still didn't wake. He pulled the blankets away from her, and she groaned, eyebrows furrowed in sleepy agitation as she shifted, arms clutching each other in an attempt to keep warm. He smirked, and tugged at her interlocked arms, pulling her easily into an upright sitting position. He held her there and finally she started to show signs of life.

Groggily, the brunette blinked open her tired eyes, and gaze up at Ralph's grinning face with slight aggravated bemusement. Still half-asleep, she slumped against his warm chest, and before he could resist, grabbed his arm and pulled it closer to herself, closing her eyes and resting with a small smile. "Now you're stuck here, Stinkbrain," she mumbled, pulling her legs tightly against her body and curling herself up against him.

Ralph's cheeks instantly lit up with fiery color and he gaped down at her. "Come on," he urged, shaking his arm gently, "You've gotta wake up."

However, when he roughly shifted the arm she was cradled against, her cheeks flushed with rosy pigment and she jolted away from him, eyes suddenly wide. "R-Ralph," she choked out, staring at him in bewilderment..

"W-what?" He barked warily, though as his gaze drifted down to his arm, he realized she had practically wrapped herself around it and his lower arm was precariously situated just between her legs and down past her…

He immediately yanked his arm away from her grip, causing her to tumble a few inches away from him on the bed. He turned away urgently, his entire face burning with the force of what felt like a thousand blazing EZ Living suns.

Vanellope shifted uncomfortably, a surprising warmth easing itself annoyingly between her thighs. She gulped and stared down at the blankets, gripping them unknowingly with her fingers until they became pale.

The two stayed in that very uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

"L-let's just-" Vanellope began.

"Pretend that never happened?" Ralph cut her off hastily, still staring down at the floor so intensely she could swear there were scorch marks left on the wood.

"Y-yeah," she agreed quickly. "Uh, I-I need to get dressed. I'll b-be down in a minute," she coughed, looking away again.

"Y-yeah, okay," he conceded, bolting upright and sidling towards the door without so much as a glance in her direction. "I-uh, I'll be d-downstairs, with the o-others."

She nodded in response, though she knew he didn't see her, and he closed the door with a nervous slam on his way out. She sighed, slumping back down with her back against the sheets, clenching her eyes shut tightly as she slapped her palm over her face and groaned loudly. "What in the name of Sugar Rush am I gonna do now?"

* * *

As Ralph hurried back down the staircase and into the sitting room he found that as hard as he tried, he could not get the strange new images out of his head.

His brain kept replaying what happened over and over again in his mind, stamping the image behind his eyes. Except, each time it changed little more. He found himself frozen at the end of the hallway into the kitchen, unable to face the rest of the racers with those images floating around his vision.

He found himself picturing things a little differently, and almost in slow motion, as he moved his arm slowly upward, and he could practically feel her hands clutch him tightly. This time she said his name softer than before, her tone significantly more pleading...He could even hear her making a small sound of pleasure as his face and body filled with an intense rush of warmth...maybe she even moaned..

He yanked himself forcibly out of his disturbing fantasy, and found himself slumping against the wall, tugging at his messy auburn locks. He screwed his eyes shut tightly and used all of his willpower to force every last image out of his brain. Finally, after standing there for a few minutes, he was able to relax again. With a sigh, he stood up straight, glad to see his growing "problem" was gone too.

When he felt like he was ready to face the others, he walked slowly into the kitchen. Taffyta immediately whirled around to face him and grinned mischievously. "So, how's our resident sleeping beauty?" She pestered. Candlehead quietly giggled behind her hand as she watched their interactions unfold.

"She's fine," he mumbled, approaching the counter with his face tilted down. He slid back into his seat and stared at the smooth surface. "Can someone get me a cup of coffee?" He asked with a sigh, his tone signifying a halt to any further inquiries.

Of course, this didn't stop Taffyta. She hurried over to the coffee pitcher and poured him a steaming cupful. "Aw, what's the matter?" She pressed. "Did she get mad at your for interrupting her beauty sleep?"

Ralph rolled his eyes. "Knock it off," he muttered. "I'm fine."

"How do you like your coffee?" She asked.

"Just how it is," he told her, reaching over and gently taking the mug from her small hands. "Thanks."

She eyed him curiously with a small smile. "Hey, you know what," she exclaimed, knowingly glancing towards Candlehead and Rancis. "We should all spend the day at EZ Living!"

"Yeah!" Candlehead immediately chimed in. "I haven't been there yet! I've heard it's like, _amazing!_ "

"It's pretty cool," Rancis admitted, glancing shyly towards Taffyta. "Me and Taff went there a couple of weeks ago for a little while. The beach can get pretty crowded, but if we head over there soon we'll be okay. I think I wanna explore the jungle some more though."

Ralph rolled his eyes. "EZ Living is so overrated," he barked. "Why don't we just stay here?" To be honest, he was more concerned with the thought of seeing Vanellope in her bathing suit.

"Aw come on, Ralph," Taffyta whined, "Don't be such a party pooper! Besides, I'm sure Vanellope would love to go!" Ralph rolled his eyes as she pouted at him and he nearly chugged his mug of coffee.

"Fine," he sighed, "whatever."

"Great!" Taffyta exclaimed. "Well, me, Candlehead, and Rancis all have our bathing suits on, but let me go tell Vanellope where we're going!" Ralph noticed Rancis was wearing swimming trunks and both the girls were wearing colorful sundresses with what appeared to be bathing suits tied up around their neck.

Taffyta rushed out of the room, and Candlehead quickly followed as they ran to prepare Vanellope for the day's events.

Ralph rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling, continuing to sip quietly at his coffee. He noticed Azalea leaned up against the opposite wall of the kitchen, quietly observing everything. When he made eye contact with her, she smiled sweetly and waved, eyes glinting. He smiled back nervously and nodded.

 _Today is gonna be a long day._

* * *

 **Shoutout to my amazing followers and all the love I feel just from knowing you like my story! :D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

Taffyta burst into Vanellope's room just as she was getting in the shower. She noticed the closed bathroom door and heard the water start running. Undeterred, she called out loudly, "Vanellope!"

The dark-haired girl heard her friend the first time, and with a sigh slumped against the shower wall. Of course, just like the rest of the amenities inside the castle, the interior of her bathroom was fit for a Queen. Her shower was large and grand, with beautiful mosaic tiles across the walls and glass doors. There was even a small bench to sit down on.

Pretending not to hear the persistent blonde, she scrubbed shampoo through her long, silky strands of black hair and let the soothing, hot water run over her tired body. Of course, her attempt at blocking out Taffyta's voice failed.

"VANELLOPE!" This time she screamed louder than ever; so loud, in fact, that those still gathered down in the kitchen could hear.

" _Oh my sprinkles, WHAT?"_ Vanellope mumbled the first part before hollering back through the sound of the rushing water. As loud as Taffyta could be, she knew she could easily match her.

Meanwhile, Candlehead starting snooping through Vanellope's closet, pulling out and inspecting multiple garments whilst looking for something suitable. "Hey, Taffyta," she called to the blonde, "Do you know where she keeps her bathing suits?"

She had pulled out a few short sundresses, unsure of which one to pick. Taffyta gestured to the top left drawer of Vanellope's dresser before resuming her conversation. "Hey, we're going to the beach!" She cried out. "EZ Living! We're gonna pick out a bathing suit!"

Vanellope rolled her eyes and continued washing her hair. _Great. I can't wait to see what they expect me to wear. Now things with Ralph are going to be ten times more awkward._ "Okay," she called out half-heartedly, but she'd be darned if she just half-wittingly went along with whatever kind of scheme her sisters had in store for her.

She went about her shower as normal, if not a little faster than usual, considering she was a little anxious about what Taffyta and Candlehead were doing rummaging around her bedroom.

She finally finished washing herself up and proceeded to blow dry her hair and dress in some comfortable sweats and a T-shirt. After making her way out of the bathroom, she immediately noticed the messy tangle of swimsuits and sundresses piled up on her bed. She sighed at the sight of Candlehead and Taffyta sat cross-legged amongst the mess, quietly bickering about what they thought she should wear.

"Guys?" Vanellope asked, putting her hands on her hips and smirking in a half amused, half annoyed manner. "You know, I can dress myself just fine. Just because I'm President doesn't mean I need to have someone pick out my clothes."

The two girls looked up at her, their facial expressions completely different. While Taffyta bore a smug grin across her features, Candlehead simply smiled up at her sheepishly. "Yes you do," the blonde snapped back. "Today you do."

Vanellope sighed and heaved down on the bed with her sisters. "Gosh," she breathed, "I didn't even know I _had_ this many clothes."

"I'm willing to bet we all got a few more items in our wardrobe from the upgrade rolling in," Taffyta conceded.

"Yeah," Candlehead snickered, "A _few_." The three sisters giggled softly and Vanellope began fingering through the array of bathing suits set before her. Taffyta held up a mint green string bikini set, beaming.

"How 'bout this?" She asked. "User knows Ralph won't be able to take his eyes off of you if you show up wearing _this_."

Images of the morning's prior "event" flashed back in her mind, and her cheeks flushed at the physical reminder of the feeling of Ralph's…

She jolted out of her reverie when Taffyta snapped her fingers insistently at her face. "C'mon, Vanellope, we haven't got all day! We wanna at least find _some sort_ of spot by the shore."

"Uh-uhm," she looked down at the skimpy swimsuit that Taffyta held in her hands. She furrowed her brow. "Okay, that is _way_ too revealing." She sighed, scratching her head.

"At least please tell me you're gonna wear a bikini," Taffyta whined. "I honestly can't _wait_ to see Ralph's reaction."

"Fine, fine," Vanellope sighed, raising her hands up in defeat. "Just not... _that_."

"Okay, okay," Taffyta giggled, exchanging a knowing look with Candlehead. "I guess I should've known that wouldn't go over well."

Candlehead lifted up a more modest bikini, which, while still appearing to show off all of Vanellope's assets, provided considerably more coverage in the important areas. It was a lovely shade of pastel pink, and the bottom had a mini skirt attached to it, providing a little more modesty while still having the capability to show off her legs.

"Oookaaaayy," Vanellope said slowly, scratching her chin as she eyed the bathing suit with scrutiny. "Maybe that could work. It's definitely cute. I guess I'll try it on." She hastily plucked the two pieces from Candlehead's hands and smiled weakly. "Be right back." She hurried into the bathroom to give it a whirl.

A few minutes later, she emerged, somewhat shyly.

"Daaaannnggg girl!" Taffyta exclaimed, her eyes widening.

Vanellope blushed lightly and looked down at herself. She crossed over to her floor-length mirror and looked at herself from different angles. Of course, the bikini did show off her stunning figure, and she had to admit, she liked the way it looked, but she still felt nervous about wearing so little around her bumbling wrecker- especially after their earlier incident.

"If Ralph isn't stumbling all over himself when he sees you, I'll be _shocked_ ," Candlehead admitted. She turned to the pile of sundresses and picked up a simple white, flowy one that looked about knee-length that had thick straps and swirls of the same pastel pink laced throughout.

"Here," she offered, bringing the garment over to Vanellope.

"Thanks," she murmured, taking it gently from her green-haired friend. She slipped it on easily over her head and smiled. "Much better," she laughed lightly, smoothing the soft fabric down under her fingers. "I guess I'm ready to go." She slipped on a pair of comfortable sandals and smiled at her friends. "EZ Living it is."

* * *

The trio of girls made their way downstairs, where everyone else was waiting. Azalea was the only one that was nowhere to be seen.

"Did you guys invite Lea?" Vanellope queried, looking back and forth between Taffyta and Candlehead.

"Uhhh, no, we didn't think to," Candlehead admitted softly. "I guess I'm still used to it just being the five of us."

"Huh," Vanellope murmured, stopping and scratching her head, "Maybe I should go find her. I'll see if she wants to come with."

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Ralph leaning against the kitchen counter. When he glanced over and saw her, he noticeably straightened, eyes widening slightly. She tried not to pay him much attention.

"Okay," Taffyta responded, "Just, if she decides to come, tell her to hurry up, okay?"

Vanellope nodded and headed off in the direction of her wing again. She passed through the sitting room, but instead of walking up her staircase to the left, proceeded to the opposite side of the room and took the stairs leading up on the right. She made her way to Azalea's closed door and knocked on it gently. "Lea?" She called.

"Come in!" Came the bright and peppy response. The dark-haired racer opened up the door slowly and saw her green-haired sister laying comfortably in bed. Her stomach was flat against the blankets and her legs were interlocked behind her, sticking up towards the ceiling. She was dressed in white cotton shorts and a baggy blue T-shirt. "Hey!" She greeted. She was wearing glasses, surprisingly, but even more surprisingly, she had a book propped up in front of her.

"Hey," Vanellope responded softly, smiling in a bemused manner. "I didn't know you liked reading."

"Oh, it's nothing," Azalea replied casually, sitting up and closing the book firmly before setting it down behind her. She sat with legs crossed 'Indian style.' She pushed the book further away from Vanellope's sight and smiled pleasantly. "Just, you know, cheesy romance novels, and the sort."

"I see," Vanellope replied, taking a long glance around the room. The color scheme consisted of mostly pastel pinks and purples, as well as white. The walls were white with glittery sprinkles, much like her cart. The floor had a soft round rug by the door, which was pink and purple striped. The furniture was sleek and white, and the hardwood floors were a pale cream color. Her billowing blankets and pillows were pastel pink with swirls of lavender. "I like your bedroom," she complimented.

"Thanks," Azalea replied with a small giggle. "Is there anything you needed?"

"Oh, uh, I actually was wondering if you wanted to come over to EZ Living with us," she stammered sheepishly. She nervously twiddled her fingers. "We were gonna go swimming at the beach and stuff."

"EZ Living?" Azalea questioned, furrowing her brow.

"Right, you've never been outside of our game, have you?" Vanellope asked rhetorically. "Well, it's one of the other arcade games. When we have a free day like this, a lot of people like to head over there and have fun. It's really beautiful. It has beaches that go on _forever,_ and a _lot_ of EZ Living locals. They're not the brightest, though if you know what I mean. But it's pretty cool. The jungle is supposed to be really cool."

"I see," Lea murmured, seeming to ponder her invitation. "I'm afraid I've gotta pass this time around. I don't feel much like going out today. I think I'm just gonna stay in and read."

As bad as she felt about it, Vanellope felt a vague sense of relief come over her. She was her sister and all, but she couldn't help but feel there was something... _off_...about her. _You're probably just being crazy and paranoid._

"Aw, well, okay," she responded lightly. "Well, have fun with your book. Wish you could come along, but I'll see you later!" Azalea flashed her a beaming grin before settling back down with her book. She scurried back out of the bedroom and closed the door softly behind her.

Maybe it was just because she didn't know her very well yet, but she couldn't help feeling a little uneasy around the minty-haired racer. She sighed and headed back down the staircase and traipsed hesitantly into the kitchen. Soon her thoughts were replaced with worries about the day, and just what Ralph would think of her attire - if he even noticed anything. _Maybe that prospect scares me even more._

"She's not going," she announced to the others as she plodded into the kitchen. "She said she wants to stay in and read. She did look pretty comfortable," she admitted, beginning to wonder if maybe her coded sister had the right idea.

"Well, that's too bad for her," Taffyta insisted, tugging on Vanellope's arm. "And there's no way I'm letting you turn around and get back into your pajamas. Come one, today is gonna be _awesome._ "

"Jeez, what's got you so worked up?" Vanellope prodded somewhat grumpily. "It's not like we're going somewhere amazing. It's just the beach, right?"

"Have you ever even _been_ to EZ Living?" Taffyta questioned, exchanging a glance with Candlehead. "C'mon, Vanellope, where's that playful energy all gone to? It used to be you were practically bouncing off the walls at the mention of some place new."

Vanellope sighed. "I guess this update has taken it's toll on me." She glanced over at Ralph, who was eyeing her with a half-amused, half-confused stare. "Besides," she whispered to Taffyta, "I don't want things to get weird between me and Ralph."

"Oh, it's okay," she laughed, brushing her off. "Just be yourself! Seriously, just treat him how you always have; this update thing doesn't have to be such a big deal."

"I guess you're right," she admitted, glancing at her loveable wrecker again. "Something just feels so _different._ I can't quite figure what it is."

"Don't worry about it," her blonde friend eased. "Just have some fun!"

Vanellope smiled slowly at her. "Okay, okay, fine...I suppose you're right."

"When am I wrong?"

* * *

The group of five wandered through Game Central Station towards Ralph's outlet, so he could stop by and change, and see if Felix and Calhoun wanted to come along. "We'll wait here," Taffyta decided, as the group came to a halt in front of the entrance. "You and Vanellope go in," she concluded with a smirk, glancing in between the two.

Vanellope rolled her eyes. "Okay," she sighed. "Come on, Stinkbrain!" She called, turning and rushing towards the outlet. Ralph blinked and raised an eyebrow at Taffyta before quickly following after the short brunette.

After catching up with her, he noticed she was purposely avoiding eye contact. They strolled silently towards the dinky train, a veil of tension hanging over them.

"Okay," he grunted. "I thought we were going to forget about this morning," he complained.

"What do you mean?" She asked coyly, cocking an eyebrow in mock innocence. "Nothing happened this morning."

He felt a light blush rise to his cheeks. "Right," he mumbled. "Of course."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her smile. He couldn't help but grin himself. "Okay, enough of this awkward silence mumbo jumbo nonsense," he declared, suddenly swooping his arm down and in one smooth motion sweeping her into the train car in front of his. She let out an _oof_ as she slid gracelessly into the seat.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, pulling herself up and glaring at him in playful annoyance. "I can get into the cart myself now, thank you!" He grinned at her as he forced himself into the tiny green car behind her.

"Sure you can," he teased slyly. She rolled her eyes and pulled herself up the the top ledge of the car, swinging her legs over so they hung into his car. "Hey, watch it," he joked. "There's not enough room in here as it is."

"Huh, really?" She pondered, scratching her chin in an exaggerated motion. She began to swing her legs wildly and haphazardly; they swung in arcs in front of his face and bumped repeatedly against his knees.

"Okay, okay, knock it off!" He laughed. "I get it, you're all big and grown now. You sure don't act like it!"

Crinkling her nose at him, she swung her legs faster and more insistently in his space. "Now you're asking for it!" She exclaimed. She lightly bumped her shoe against his cheek. "Bad Wreck-It!"

"Really? Enough with the Wreck-It, already!" He sighed. "Okay, enough." He grabbed her ankles and held her legs still in front of him. A small fit of giggles burst out of her and she flung her head back in an even louder fit of laughter. He smirked and felt a bloom of fresh color spread across his face.

The train slowly kicked into motion and started slowly creaking through the wire towards his game. When Vanellope finally stopped laughing, she looked back down at him and wiped a fake tear from under her eye. "You're no fun!" She complained teasingly, all while grinning her toothy grin at him with no restraint.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Yeah, right."

His grip on her ankles loosened slightly, and he suddenly became aware of the contact of his hands with the bare skin on her legs. His face flushed brighter. She looked down at his hands, seeming to come to the same realization, and tensed up slightly. Her cheeks heated up a similar shade to his own.

They waited the rest of the ride out in silence, and as the train creaked to a rickety halt, he released his hold and pulled himself out of the car, while she gracefully hopped out beside him. "See?" She snickered, putting her hands on her hips as she looked up at him. "I can manage myself _just fine._ "

Ralph found himself unwittingly scanning her figure, as his eyes instantly darted to her hands' position on her womanly hips. He quickly brought his eyes back up to hers, and he noticed a smirk slowly grow across her features.

"Earth to Ralph, you in there somewhere, bud?" She teased, snapping her fingers for him to pay attention.

He rolled his eyes. "Come on," he grumbled, cheeks flushing. "Let's go find Felix and Calhoun."

They found the couple hanging around the front door of the Niceland building, dressed down in comfortable clothing for the day.

"Hey, Ralph!" Felix instantly greeted, beaming almost as brightly as the sun.

"Hey, Felix, Calhoun," Ralph greeted back.

"Wreck-It," Calhoun affirmed with a nod. She looked at Vanellope and greeted her with a small nod the same.

"Oh, and hi Vanellope!" Felix exclaimed warmly, flashing her the same huge grin he had shown Ralph.

"Hey guys!" She said with a smile. "You wanna come to EZ Living with us?"

"Oh, golly, as nice as that sounds, we're actually looking forward to just spending the day together and hanging around home," Felix admitted, sharing a secretive glance with his wife. "I do hope you guys and gals have fun though!"

"Oh, okay. You too!" Vanellope answered with a small smile. Ralph exchanged a knowing look with felix and leaned over to murmur something in his ear that she couldn't quite decipher. Whatever it was, it caused Felix's whole face to light up and turn a blazing shade of red.

Ralph chuckled and started walking away, while she stood there, befuddled for a few seconds before realizing that Ralph was leaving and scurried after him.

"What was that all about?" She questioned, staring up at him with her brow furrowed. He smiled sheepishly and shook his head.

"It's nothing, kid."

Her face heated up a bright shade of pink and they continued down the trail for about a minute before she pushed herself in front of him and turned to face him, forcing him to halt.

"Listen!" She declared firmly, stomping her foot on the ground with emphasis. "I'm _not_ a kid anymore! So stop treating me like one!" She put her hands on her hips and unknowingly puffed out her chest. She spread her legs out slightly in a posture conveying dominance.

Distracted, Ralph let his eyes wander briefly back down her curvy figure, passing over her shoulders and trailing down over her full breasts and hips, then down past her thighs. He slowly raked his gaze back upward, and she felt every second of his wandering search. Her face warmed and a lump formed in her throat as his eyes finally stopped to meet hers. His smile fell away and his eyes grew dark.

They held this moment for what felt like an eternity, eyes locked in an intense staring contest.

Ralph felt a piece of his resolve and his resistance to this change dissolve as he continued to stare at the beauty in front of him. It felt like his world was crumbling down around him, his sanity was slowly being ripped to shreds. Something in his heart tugged incessantly at his senses; the girl standing before him unwittingly held the better half of his heart in her hands. And now, she wasn't just a little girl. He knew she was right; she really had grown up. Now those warm loving feelings towards his best friend were heating up into something much more difficult to describe. He knew he no longer viewed her the same way, and he never could. Every day something new was making itself known to him, whether it was the beautiful hazel glow of her eyes, the deeper, smoother more feminine lilt of her voice, the heart-melting sound of her contagious laugh, the fullness of her lips and the way they smiled so tenderly at him- he slowly felt himself falling more and more in love with every part of her.

 _By User, why does this have to be so difficult?_


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Hey guys! I know it has been an _overwhelmingly_ long time since I've posted an update on here. To be honest, there's no better explanation for my lack of updates than life itself. With school, and band, and college, and everything else in between, I've just had so little time for anything, let alone writing. I'm sorry that this chapter is pretty short, I had most of it already written and sitting around for the longest time, and I just wanted to get something out. So I put the finishing touches on it and decided to post it. I can't make any promises about when I'll post another, but I will do my best to get it out as soon as possible! I hope you guys haven't given up on this story, because don't worry, I sure haven't!

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen**

That moment felt frozen in time as silence settled over them like a foreboding storm cloud. Vanellope quirked an eyebrow up at Ralph, trying to retain her composure as the heat flooded to her face and she felt the lingering effects of Ralph's inquisitive gaze.

Maybe she had been clueless to some little cues before, but this time she _definitely_ noticed his eyes.

 _Did Ralph really just look at me like that?_

Meanwhile, he kept staring down at her, searching her stare for a sign of her emotions, trying to find a hint as to what she was thinking.

 _When has she ever been this hard to read?_

The two remained locked in a silent staring contest for what seemed like eternity before Ralph noisily cleared his throat.

"Look," he began gently.

Before she could even register what she was saying, words were flying out of Vanellope's mouth.

"Oh, you had no issue doing that just a minute ago. But I'm just a kid, right?"

She immediately covered her mouth and felt a rush of warmth flow through her cheeks. Her eyes widened instinctively and she shook her head apologetically. He just stared back at her, floored, mouth hanging wide open, skin the color of the red brick mountain.

"I-I have no filter," she meekly offered, her voice somewhat apologetic. He continued to stare at her silently for a few moments, before sighing and closing his eyes, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"I-uh…." He sighed again, trying to collect his thoughts. _This is harder than I thought._ "I _know_ you're not a kid anymore. I mean, come on, it's pretty obvious. But I just need some time to process all of this. You...you have changed, a lot, but you're still the same person. I'm just trying to navigate these differences without stepping on a minefield. And I'm definitely not used to talking to you about more...adult...things. So please, I'm not trying to degrade you or offend you or anything… but honestly, Vanellope, I used to be 100 percent comfortable with you, and lately, I've been really nervous."

She swallowed a lump quickly forming in her throat. "N-nervous?" She asked timidly and curiously. She shifted her stance into a somewhat less aggressive one as her emotions started to calm down. She crossed her arms over her chest and moved her legs closer together. Though still feeling flustered, she listened intently for his response.

"Well...you're a beautiful gir-young woman, Vanellope. And though you're still my best friend, there are some parts of our relationship that are just...different. You're more mature, older, and attractive. I'm just trying to figure out what is happening and where everything is going. Right now I don't know where it's going. But I know that I still love you, and enjoy spending time with you." He managed, mustering all his strength, to make it through his long-winded explanation calmly, before folding his hands awkwardly behind his head and staring up at the sky. He couldn't bear the overwhelming silence that ensued.

Unbeknownst to him, his words rang faintly in her ears and her heart drummed urgently against her chest. The words " _I love you"_ danced and echoed teasingly around her brain and she blinked rapidly, trying to process all that he had said.

 _I may protest at being called a kid, but so much of this stuff is still so new to me._

"R-Ralph, I," she stammered, not even able to finish her statement. "I love you too," she managed to bumble out nervously. "You were my first friend."

He shifted his stare back down to her and saw the evident tension in her posture. She anxiously twiddled with her fingers and stared up at him with wide eyes. He smiled tenderly.

"You don't have to say anything else," he eased to her. "You may have gotten an upgrade, but I know you're not completely used to being an 'adult.'" He used air quotes around that word to lighten the air with a teasing jab, and fortunately, he succeeded.

She smirked and stepped forward to playfully shove him with her arm. "Hey," she chided softly. "I'm still not totally convinced _you're_ even an adult."

He rolled his eyes with a smile. "Trust me, Vanny, I know some things that would make your innocent head spin on your shoulders." He glanced down at her with a new, somewhat dangerous looking glint in his eyes and a flirty smirk.

Her cheeks filled with soft color and she narrowed her eyes, smirking back at him. "Oh, really?" She drawled. "And just what are you insinuating? Why don't you try me? I'll bet you I know more than you may think."

He chuckled and decided to take their simmering banter a small step further. "Behave and maybe sometime I'll show you."

She rolled her eyes and tried to push down the flustered emotions simpering up throughout her body. "Come on, you big oaf, let's go get your clothes and get out of here. I'm sure they're getting tired of waiting."

"Quite the contrary," he laughed, though he slowly started moseying down the path towards his house with Vanellope a few steps behind him. "I bet they're talking and giggling about everything they think we're doing in here. As far as they're concerned, the longer we stay, the more entertained their minds are."

She snickered softly and shook her head. "I hate to say it, but you're probably right."

The two continued to banter nonchalantly as they made their way to Ralph's humble abode. "Do you wanna come in, or wait here?" Ralph asked her as they neared the front door. He placed a hand on the doorknob and turned to look at her, twisting it slowly.

"I'll come in I guess," she said somewhat nervously. He opened the door and allowed her through, gesturing dramatically with a bow.

She giggled and gave him a mock curtsy before strolling inside. Ralph rolled his eyes and grinned, quickly following suit.

"I'm gonna go change and I'll be right back. You can hang out in the living room," he called out as he continued his fast pace to his bedroom.

"Okay!" She responded, plopping immediately down on one of his long sofas. She smiled contently and closed her eyes as he closed his bedroom door behind him and went about finding a pair of swim trunks.

His closet was sparse to say the least. He had a couple of the same outfits and a few other colored polos and one button down dress shirt, along with several pairs of jeans.

"Guess the programmers didn't have much of a life in mind for me," he mumbled to himself as he yanked out the sole pair of swimming trunks he owned and a dark gray T-shirt. It was the only shirt that wasn't a polo; this outfit had to be programmed in the code room, which Felix was the master of, and created from scratch.

 _You'd never guess it, but that guy's a code_ _ **genius.**_ _Guess all these years plugged in, he had to find some way to pass the time-besides partying without me, that is._

He quickly dressed himself, suddenly finding that he was growing more and more eager to return to the living room. His heart rate sped up gradually as he envisioned Vanellope sitting out there by herself. A small part of his brain couldn't help but begin to imagine what exactly she might look like in a swimsuit.

He gulped, his throat tight and all of a sudden somewhat swollen feeling. He took a few moments after he got dressed to calm himself down. Exhaling a long breath he had been holding, he closed his eyes and opened the bedroom door.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

The walk back through Ralph's game and out the exit went by uneventfully. Vanellope whistled softly during the train ride, and they found themselves too preoccupied with their own thoughts to bother sparking a conversation.

As they made their way silently towards the rest of the group, the short brunette slyly ogled him from the corner of her eyes. She bit her lip, thinking back to the things he said to her earlier.

" _Behave and maybe sometime I'll show you."_

She gulped, quickly averting her gaze back to the ground in front of her. _What exactly does he intend to...show me?_ A strange tingling sensation rushed through her stomach, leaving her feeling slightly breathless and queasy all of a sudden.

A strange warmth filled her veins and she found herself befuddled by the strange physical effects she found herself enduring. When they finally reached their small trio of friends, the awkwardness of their silence had almost grown deafening.

"Heeeeyyyy, guys!" Taffyta called out, a grin stretching across her features. Blue eyes glinting mischievously, she shared a quick glance between Candlehead and Rancis. "What took you two so long?"

"Actually, they were only gone for about ten min-" Candlehead began sheepishly.

Taffyta cut her off with a sharp jab in the side. "Come on now, I'm sure when they're together, time simply seemed to fly by much faster than it usually goes. That's why it only _seemed_ like ten minutes to you, Candlehead."

The green-haired racer frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion. "But Taffyta, that's not how it-"

"Okay, okay!" Rancis chimed in, noticing the frazzled looks on both Vanellope and Ralph's faces. "How about we stop with this chit chat and just head over to EZ Living. I am _dying_ to get into that water."

Taffyta rolled her eyes, a small smirk gracing her features nevertheless. "Okay, whatever Rancis." She playfully nudged him with her shoulder as she turned and walked past. He stared at her in confusion for a moment before quickly following suit.

Candlehead trailed a few paces behind them, Vanellope and Ralph falling in behind her. Slowly, as they made their way across Game Central Station, the gang finally settled back into their easy playful banter.

However, Ralph and Vanellope couldn't help but feel distracted. She glanced his way every so often. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the images from their earlier conversation.

He looked down at one point to meet her stare, playfully smirking and raising one eyebrow. Frowning back at him in response, she turned her face away with a huff. A faint dusting of color rose to her cheeks. With each passing day, it seemed like their relationship was growing more and more complicated.

As they neared the end of the long line of game outlets, Vanellope looked up to see the name above the only entrance on that wall. "Litwak's...Office.." She slowly read aloud, narrowing her eyes at the vibrant neon lettering. "What's this?" She queried.

Taffyta looked over her shoulder with a smirk. "This outlet will take us through the wall and into Litwak's Office. From there we'll be directed to another, much smaller station. There we'll find Litwak's Laptop. That's where EZ Livin' is."

"Oooookaaayy," the dark-haired girl responded slowly. Still confused, she furrowed her eyebrows but then shrugged. "I guess I'll see when we get there."

They all piled onto the monorail. Vanellope slid into a seat across from Candlehead, Rancis, and Taffyta. Ralph sat down quietly beside her. A strange tension settled between the two. Taffyta shared a knowing glance between the two next to her. "Is it just me, or are they acting even _more_ awkward than before they went to Ralph's game?" She whispered behind her hand.

Thankfully, Vanellope was staring, oblivious, out the window, and Ralph too stared with unseeing eyes at the floor of the vehicle.

"Definitely more awkward," Candlehead confirmed, leaning over Rancis to meet eyes with Taffyta. Rancis sighed, shaking his head of blonde hair.

"Maybe we should just stop interfering," he worried, glancing at Vanellope and Ralph. "They seemed happier before we tried setting them up together."

"No, no, no," Taffyta cut in. "Don't worry, once we get them alone together in the jungle, lost, under the stars...it'll be so romantic." For a moment her eyes seemed dreamy, and Candlehead noticed her momentary glance towards Rancis. "But anyway," she murmured, a slight blush rising to her face, "just don't worry. Our plan will work just fine."

"If you say so," he sighed, raising an eyebrow back at her. She turned away from his gaze sheepishly, folding her hands together in her lap. "Are you okay, Taff?" He murmured softly, so Candlehead wouldn't hear. The green-haired racer turned away from them, humming nonchalantly and looking out across the aisle. "You seem a little...distracted."

The endearing nickname sounded strangely different when he said it, she noticed. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink color. Vanellope and Candlehead called her by 'Taff' all the time, but something about the way he said it...Her heart thrummed faster in her chest.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she grumbled, averting eye contact so he wouldn't noticed her flustered expression.

Furrowing his brow, he frowned in confusion as he looked at the normally confident and quirky girl, who suddenly seemed so nervous and shy. "Okay." In that moment, he didn't know what else to say.

Meanwhile, Vanellope found herself growing more and more uneasy with each passing minute. She turned to look over at Ralph, who was staring quite determinedly at the floor. "Hey, Ralph," she murmured. When he didn't hear her, she persisted. "Psst, Ralph, you alive over there?"

She nudged his arm roughly, and he finally seemed to refocus. Blinking his eyes rapidly, he leaned back in the seat and looked down at her curiously. "What is it, kid?"

Choosing to ignore his unfortunate choice of wording this time, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Wouldya stop being so awkward, ya big fart?" He flinched, seeming surprised, before smirking and shaking his head.

"Now, Vanellope, you know that being awkward is just part of my nature."

She couldn't help it; something about the way her name rolled so softly and fluently off of his tongue filled her insides with warmth. She had to admit, she rather liked the way it sounded coming from his lips-infinitely more better, in fact, than any teasing nickname he could come up with.

"Okay, _Ralph_ ," she teased with a smile, dragging out the word as slowly as possible, "At least try to be mildly entertaining. Or, at the very least, talk to me. You can't possibly tell me the tiles are more interesting than I am."

He rolled his eyes dramatically, beaming broader nevertheless. He quite appreciated the sound of his name when she said it; it was a drastic improvement from 'Stinkbrain.'

"Don't worry," he drawled, leaning towards her flirtatiously. "You're definitely much more interesting to look at."

Just like that, her cheeks lit up like a candle, and she did all she could not to drop her jaw open in bewilderment. She figured, however, it wouldn't be a very flattering look for her. So instead, she frowned. "You're just trying to push my buttons," she complained, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him.

He chuckled at her reaction, lightly nudging her leg with his own. "Come on, Vanellope, don't be so negative. Just because I'm trying to push your buttons doesn't mean I'm not telling the truth."

If possible, her cheeks turned an even darker shade of crimson. "Yeah, well." For once, she couldn't think of a clever response. Not a single one. Her mind was too muddled to concentrate. "You're just a big stinkbrain," she finally countered.

He laughed more boisterously than before. Outside, the monorail was slowing to a crawl at their destination. "Is that it? You're really losing your game, kid."

She simply huffed, turning away and pushing herself up to her feet. He quickly stood up beside her, 'accidentally' knocking her back off with a simple push of his hand.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, eyes wide for a second before a huge grin stretched out across her features. "I know you're the size of a building, but you could at least _try_ not to be a bumbling oaf for five minutes."

He snorted, reaching out his hand to help her back up. She grabbed it hesitantly, pulling herself back up to her feet before quickly releasing it. Too much physical contact and she feared she might be rendered speechless permanently.

"There she is, the dirty haired brat I know and love," he teased affectionately, eyeing her sideways. She rolled her eyes, biting her lip, but couldn't contain her goofy smile.

The five of them made their way off of the monorail, and out into the tiny station outside. Vanellope drank in her entire surroundings eagerly, feeling her sense of adventure gradually return to her.

Granted, there wasn't much of a sight to behold. She smiled, staring around the room. There were no other inhabitants wandering around; anybody intending to go to EZ Livin' was probably already inside. It was definitely a change from Game Central Station.

Besides the outlet they had come out of, there were only two others. One read "Litwak's Laptop" above it, and the other one was empty.

"Wow, this place really is sparse," Candlehead commented, gazing around the room.

"It's awesome!" Vanellope exclaimed, darting out into the middle of the station and suddenly flinging her arms out, spinning around in circles and shouting out as loud as she could. "HELLO, LITWAK!"

Ralph grunted, face palming loudly, though he found himself chuckling softly at the racer's antics.

Taffyta grinned and ran out to meet her, grabbing onto her friend's hands and joining. The two spun around each other joyfully, laughing and hooting until both of them fell square on their rumps.

Ralph watched the two of them in eager amusement. He couldn't help but to notice the way Vanellope's dress flared out dramatically as she spun, exposing the smooth skin of her thighs as she continued to spin around in circles.

He gulped, trying to swallow the lump burning in his throat. He looked back up at her face, bright and beaming with unsurmountable and innocent expressions of joy. He found himself smiling too, feeling his heart swell gently with appreciation for the beautiful and insane girl in front of him. Her hair whipped around her in silky black waves, and he remembered how it felt to run his fingers slowly through the dark tresses.

Time seemed to slow down around him as he stared unfalteringly at Vanellope.

Her cheeks glowed with luminescent warmth and as he watched, he suddenly had the undeniable urge to scoop her up in his arms and share her happiness. He wanted to be the recipient of that bright, though dorky, grin. He wanted to be the cause of her laughter. His heart pounded loudly in his chest and he found that all of sudden he couldn't push these thoughts out of his brain.

Vanellope rocked back, clutching her sides as tears of laughter rolled down her cheeks. Breathless as could be, she let out gasps of air in between her laughter. Taffyta rolled over onto her side, closing her eyes and letting out a loud puff of air as she finally stopped laughing. The two girls laid there, stretching their arms out across the cool tiles, trying to let their breath catch up to them.

Ralph, Rancis, and Candlehead exchanged amused looks before strolling over to the two. Candlehead plopped herself down beside Vanellope and smiled as the brunette pulled herself up to a sitting position. Taffyta soon followed suit, and the three girls looked up at the two slightly befuddled guys.

"What are you doing sitting on the floor?" Rancis questioned, raising his eyebrows and sharing a look with Ralph. "I thought you all were eager to get to the beach."

"After all that spinning, I'm eager to sit my butt down," Taffyta countered. Vanellope and Candlehead laughed obnoxiously in response, snorting and nearly falling down onto their backs.

"What about you, Candlehead?" Ralph asked, crossing his arms in amusement. "You didn't even do any spinning."

"I'm always eager to sit down," she kidded, after a few moments of contemplation.

The group finally all succumbed to soft laughter together, before Ralph responded with, "You and me both, sister."

Vanellope locked eyes with Ralph, eyes twinkling mischievously. He beamed down at her, easily eliciting a broad smile in return.

A flood of affection for her clumsy wrecker suddenly surged through her. She reached her hands up towards him and he pulled her easily to her feet. For a few moments, they stood there silently, hands still locked, the lack of distance between them seeming to pull them even closer. She shyly averted her eyes, a small smile gracing her lips.

He smiled, tenderly reaching up to push a lock of her hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed slowly across her cheek, and she looked back up at him, hazel eyes full of warmth. As comfortable as they were remaining in their position, a silent acknowledgement passed between them that if they stayed there any longer, they would never hear the end of it. Slowly, they separated, and turned to join in with their friends' lighthearted conversation.

Finally, after a few more minutes of friendly banter, they made their way towards the entrance to Litwak's Laptop. Vanellope hung behind the others, stopping to look up at the top of the entrance as everyone else filed inside. Even now, she still found herself mystified by her ability to actually pass through these barriers. Ralph stopped and turned, waiting for her to catch up.

She couldn't help thinking about a time when she hadn't even been able to leave her own game. Back when she still resided in the coca cola mountain, that bright blue barrier that kept her trapped inside had been a source of constant nightmares. Now, thanks to Ralph, she stood facing another brand new game, yet again.

Deep inside, there was still a lingering fear that when she stepped forward, she would feel the sharp jab of electricity shoot through her binary, launching her backwards and keeping her locked out forever. Her eyes welled up with tears to think of all she had been through compared to where she was now.

When she looked back down and her eyes locked with Ralph's, she felt something deep inside of her churning and filling her whole body with undeniable yearning. _I love you, Stinkbrain._ The words refused to leave her mouth, but she knew in her heart that she meant them now more than she ever had.

He smiled as he watched her. She never stopped amazing him with her endless amounts of wonder and appreciation. He wondered what exactly was going on in that ever-cranking brain of hers. Finally, she looked back down, her eyes meeting his, and flashed him a toothy grin. She skipped forward to catch up to him.

"Hey, Ralph?" She said as they resumed their path into the outlet. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up into his inquisitive eyes.

"Yeah?" He asked, smiling tenderly down at her. She slowly wrapped her thin arms around his huge one, and his face flushed with pale color.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice practically no more than a whisper.

In that moment, as she stared lovingly into his eyes, he knew he was done for.

He finally knew his heart had fallen hook, line, and sinker, for the beautiful Vanellope von Schweetz.


	16. Author's Note

Hey guys! It's me! Obviously...haha. I'm sorry that this update isn't an actual chapter. I just wanted to let you know that this story is coming back from the dead.

(Commence cheering)

Lol, just kidding. Really though, I've been revisiting what I wrote so long ago - almost two years - and I really wanna take another swing at this plotline and see how it turns out. Hopefully with the new Wreck It Ralph movie that came out not too long ago, maybe this story will get another shot. I'm going to start writing chapters again and hopefully get another one posted within a few days.

So much has happened in between now and the last time I worked on this. My life has changed in many drastic ways. Many bad things have happened, but also many good. This upcoming fall I will be moving away to college, but before then I will try to make the most of this summer writing and giving this story another shot.

I'm so sorry to have abandoned it all those months ago. I know I told you all that it would never die, but, alas, I ended up losing inspiration and dropping it for quite some time. I hope you can forgive me for this and give this story another chance.

Anyways, that's about all I have to say. I hope that some of my old readers/followers will be able to come back to this and maybe regain interest in the events of the story. There is still much story to be told here and I will do my best to tell it. Thank you everyone.

CiciVal, out.


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! As promised, here is a new update for this story! I know, it's about time, right? I can't believe it's been like a year and a half since I've added any chapters to this. I hope you all can forgive me, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter! I definitely wanna see this story through, and I've got a lot more storyline planned out. I'm going to see how this new chapter is received and what the views and feedback is like. If everything is positive and views and reviews pick up some, I'm just gonna keep writing and adding more chapters on to this story. However, if I don't get many views from this or much of a reception then I'm thinking of removing it and then re-publishing it. That way I can add it on to the site as a new story, and publish the first chapter. I would probably publish one a week and try to write more chapters to stay ahead of the updates. That's only if I don't feel like it's given a good chance, which would be my own fault for letting it go without updating it for so long. Anyway, thanks for reading, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

Within a few minutes, their whole group was filling off of the train and into a large open space. Vanellope stared in awe at her surroundings. "Woah…" She murmured, "I remember how it felt the first time I saw the station. This place is even more different."

Ralph glanced down at her with a small smirk of amusement. He couldn't help but chuckle a little at the sight of the snarky racer rendered speechless at slackjaw. Though he would admit, she had good reason to be that way.

The entire room around them almost seemed to glow. The floor was tiled with shiny, reflective jet black tiles and both the walls and the ceiling gleamed a bright bold blue. When they cast their eyes to the surface above them, it almost seemed to extend into an endless blue abyss.

"Is that what the ocean looks like?" Vanellope wondered aloud. Her words dripped with wonder, and as Ralph stared down at the mystified young woman, he couldn't help but feel endeared at the awestruck nature of her attitude.

"Something like that," he responded. He took a step forward and gently placed his hand on the small of her back. He almost didn't notice when she shivered slightly at his touch. She tore her gaze away from the ceiling and looked at him quizzically. "Come on," he continued, gesturing with his chin towards Taffyta, Rancis, and Candlehead. "They're getting ahead of us."

As the two of them followed suit several feet behind the others, Vanellope continued to search the room with her eyes. She realized that this very large room was even vaster than it was at first glance. Each side seemed to never end, and there was a seemingly endless line of tall, pale blue doors lining either side.

Above each door was a neon green sign lettered with the title of the game or folder. She noticed that above most of the doors, a smaller nameplate resided beneath the sign which read "File Folder." As they walked down the hall towards the doors marked "EZ Livin" she realized some of the doors had thick black bars extending all the way across them, with some sort of sensor in the middle. It seemed as if the bars were keeping the doors from being opened.

Soon enough, they made it to the doors, and she felt a vat of excitement bubbling up inside her. "What happens when we open them?" She asked, moving forward to clutch on to Taffyta's arm.

The blonde turned her head to look at her with a smile. "You'll see, Princess."

Vanellope gulped, feeling a hint of nervousness creep into her head. Ralph could see the worry written all over her face. "It's okay," he whispered, laying a hand reassuringly on her shoulder. "Trust me, there's absolutely nothing to worry about."

She looked back up at him and saw the concern glimmering in his eyes. She gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Stinkbrain," she whispered back.

"Alright!" Taffyta exclaimed. "Everyone ready?" She grinned mischievously at Rancis and he looked away with a blush, bashfully scratching his head.

When everyone else around her shared glances and nodded, she finally reached toward the doors and gave them a hefty push.

Within a second of their opening, all Vanellope saw was a blinding flash of white light. She instinctively brought her arm up to shield her eyes, but in an instant she felt a strange, almost gravitational pull towards the opening as streams of code quickly flew from her body.

She glanced over at Ralph and her eyes widened at what she saw. She could see his limbs and features stretching as his own code was sucked beyond the entrance. He gave her one last confident smile before her vision disappeared in a flash of white and blue.

Within a few seconds, her eyesight returned to normal and she found herself catapaulting onto the ground.

All she saw were flashes of brown and green as she tumbled unceremoniously over the floor.

"Ughhh…." she scrunched her eyes tight and grasped her head, letting out a long groan as she pushed herself up onto her knees.

"It's alright," she heard the familiar voice of her blonde friend say, "I'm pretty sure everyone has a bit of a rough landing their first time around." As she slowly and painfully blinked her eyes open, they gradually adjusted to the light and she made out the dark shape of Taffyta bending over in front of her. After a few seconds, she could make out the details and colors of her surroundings, and noticed the hand that was outstretched towards her.

She begrudgingly reached forward and grasped Taffyta's outstretched arm, pulling herself upward and into a standing position. She looked around, still blinking, to see all four of her friends standing around her.

She noticed Ralph standing in the back, arms crossed, with a cocky smirk on his face.

She immediately felt her cheeks darken. "What are you smiling at?" she barked, hastily brushing dirt and grass off her dress. "I'm sure you fell over the first time you came here too!"

Her four friends all shared knowing glances.

"Maybe," Ralph responded. "But I certainly know I didn't tumble over like a wheel or lay there groaning for so long."

She heard Taffyta let out a quiet snort and could see Rancis trying his best to repress his laughter. Even Candlehead was giggling a little bit into her hands.

Her face darkened even more, and Ralph's smile only grew. "Whatever," she huffed, turning around and crossing her arms. "Let's just go to the stupid beach or whatever."

"Yes, your majesty," Ralph snarkily replied, walking past her and giving her a mock bow from his waist. She simply rolled her eyes and began walking.

As the five of them walked down the dirt trail leading towards the shore, Vanellope began to take in the scenery.

She looked around her, mentally absorbing everything she saw. Either side of the path was covered with colorful, lush greenery. There were small, bright and dark green shrubs, vibrant green grass, beautiful multicolored flowers, and palm trees of all sizes.

She couldn't help but let a smile cross her face as she breathed in the fresh, fragrant air. _This is so much different from Sugar Rush._

She looked ahead towards the ocean, and almost immediately a soft gasp forced its way out of her mouth.

Ralph edged his way closer to her and gently nudged her arm with his. "I know, it's breathtaking, isn't it?"

"I've never seen anything like it," she breathed.

A dark blue expanse of beautiful, reflective water stretched out from the shore into a shimmering abyss that seemed to go on forever. Dotted across the pale white sands of the beach were what seemed to be many spirited beachgoers, playing in the water and running around on the sand.

"Just wait till we get close." She looked up at him and gave him a bashful smile.

"It's beautiful," she admitted. He smiled warmly back down at her. "Thanks for coming with me, Stinkbrain."

He chuckled. "Of course, Vanellope." Her cheeks warmed up at the sound of her name. "Although I have to say I still prefer it when you call me Ralph."

She turned her head to hide the flush on her skin. "Yeah, well, maybe I'm still angry at you for making fun of me, fartbreath," she gruffed.

He laughed boisterously. "You? Angry at me? Come on now, we both know that isn't even possible."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't contain the smile that crawled onto her features. She lightly shoved Ralph's arm with her hand. "Don't let it go to your head, you big oaf," she responded, "But I guess you're not entirely wrong."

Meanwhile, behind them, the other three racers were chatting quietly and giggling.

"Guys, guys," Rancis gasped, "I've come up with another idea."

"What is it?" Taffyta prodded. "Is it something to do with Ralph and Vanellope?"

"Well you see," he started, "Just before sunset, we convince them to come with us to explore the jungle, right? Well, instead of going in with them, which could risk us getting lost, we tell them we're going to pick up some food or something, and give them fake directions for somewhere to meet us. Somewhere off the marked trails. Then, we leave them for a few hours, and if they haven't found their way out by the time it gets dark, we'll ask for assistance finding them from the search and rescue team."

"EZ Livin' has a search and rescue team?" Candlehead inquired curiously.

"Yes they do," rancis replied. "I found that out the last time me and Taff were here and I just now remembered it."

At the sound of her nickname, Taffyta's cheeks turned a pale shade of pink. "Yeah, well, I sure hope your idea works," she responded gruffly. "I just hope they actually get lost and don't find their way out in a matter of an hour or something like that."

"Oh, don't worry," Rancis remarked. "These jungles are even more confusing than the forests of Sugar Rush."

"Okay," Candlehead responded slowly. "I guess our plan is a go then?" The three of them all looked at each other and nodded.

Rancis was the first one to open his mouth.

"Operation Set-Up Ralph and Vanellope is a go."

* * *

As the five of them made their way to the beach, Vanellope took note of everything new around her. More beachgoers than she could count were milling around on the shore, chatting and laughing and having a good time. Many of them had drinks in hand or picnic baskets.

As she looked around some more, she noticed several small food and drink stands lined up along the stand, as well as a few souvenir and supply stores for all your beachy needs.

"Okay," Taffyta began as they all clustered together at the edge of the sand. They automatically circled up and she looked at Ralph and Vanellope. You two go and find somewhere for us to sit." She handed her beach bag over to Ralph and he took it with an eye roll. "There's six beach towels in there. One each for us to dry off and then one more to lay on the ground."

Vanellope snorted. "No wonder you brought such a massive bag. Jeez, before the update that thing would have been the size of us."

Ralph looked at her and shook his head. "Nah, shortie, probably bigger. In fact, it's _almost_ the size of you now." He held it up in front of her to compare.

"Hey!" She protested, smacking it away from him, eliciting a loud chortle from the large wrecker. "Is not!"

"We'll be back," Candlehead interrupted. "We're gonna go get drinks for everybody. What do you guys want?"

"Ooh! I'll have, um...well." Vanellope scrunched her brow in contemplation. "Exactly what kind of drinks do they have here?"

Taffyta let out a loud laugh. "Oh, Van, I can't. She doubled over, clutching her sides with her arms.

The dark haired racer frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "What's so funny?"

"They just sell normal drinks," Candlehead answered. "Don't worry, there's nothing weird or special here. It's not like Sugar Rush, where there's about a million different super sweet concoctions you can come up with."

"Oh, okay," she replied, feeling slightly disappointed. "Well, just get me a lemonade then."

"I'll have a water," Ralph piped up, giving an amused glance to the cast down brunette.

Taffyta was just recovering from her laughing bout, with the help of Rancis, and she stood up straight, wiping tears out of her eyes.

"Oh Van, still so clueless," she teased, giving her best friend a smirk.

Vanellope rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She couldn't keep a light blush from crawling across her face. _Am I really clueless? Does Ralph think so?_

"Come on, Taffyta, knock it off," Rancis eased. "She's only been to two other games in the arcade, after all."

Taffyta rolled her eyes and looked away. She seemed to feel a little flustered at Rancis's remark. "I know. I know, I was just kidding around. Anyway, you two go pick a spot and we'll be right back."

The three of them turned and hurried away, leaving Vanellope and Ralph to stand there alone awkwardly.

After a few moments of silence, Ralph spoke up. "Well, I guess we should go find somewhere," he prodded. Vanellope simply turned and nodded and they began walking closer to the shore.

"Over there looks good," she announced, pointing with her finger towards a relatively empty spot on the sand further down the beach. "It's not too far away, and with you being the massive oaf you are, there's no way they could lose us."

He gave her a glance with narrow eyes, smiling when he noticed the small smirk on her face. _There's the old Vanellope I know and love._

"Ouch, kid. Ouch."

"Hey!" She protested, turning and grabbing his arm, her face turning bright red. Her eyebrows angled down as she glared at him playfully. "Are you going to _ever_ stop calling me a kid?!"

He shrugged. "I don't know," he shot back with a grin, "Maybe if you stop acting like one."

"Aghhhhh!" With no warning, a clump of sand flew through the air and rained down over his face.

"Pfftt, blah!" He scrunched his eyes closed and rubbed them furiously, spitting the grainy substance out of his mouth. All he could hear was the sound of Vanellope's raucous laughter.

"That's it!" He yelled, finally opening his eyes and charging towards her.

"Ahhhh!" Her eyes widened and she began sprinting away from him.

He charged after her, his huge feet sending large quantities of white sand hurling through the air.

"You might be small and fast!" He yelled out. "But I can take much larger strides than you!"

Clutching onto the beach bag as tightly as he could, he lurched himself further and careened after her in a relentless pursuit.

He could hear her shrill and out of breath laughter softly over the currents of air rushing past his ears, and could see her long black locks of hair swaying gracefully behind her back as she continued running towards the spot she had scoped out.

Within a few seconds, his large legs were working in his favor, and he was quickly gaining way. In a matter of moments, he was only a few paces behind her, grinning as widely as humanly possible.

She glanced over her shoulder for a second and screeched. "No!"

She turned away again and pushed herself to run even faster.

It was too late.

In an instant, he was reaching out massive arms and slipping them under her legs, pulling her towards his chest, She let out a small yelp, quickly reaching with her arms to clutch onto the neckline of his shirt.

He stood there for a few moments, nearly out of breath, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to regain it.

She took in heavy gasps of air and looked up at him. Beads of sweat were forming at her hairline, and they both stayed silent for a few seconds, simply staring at each other as they tried to take back their composure.

Her face quickly heated up and filled with a dark rosy color, as did his. At first, he wasn't sure what to do.

Then he noticed they were standing in the area she had pointed out to him earlier, and an idea sparked in his mind.

She let out a sharp squeak as he slung her over one shoulder and used his free hand to yank out one of the towels from the beach bag and drop the bag onto the ground. As fast as he could, he laid the towel out flat on the ground, trying to ignore the pounding of her small fists against his back.

 _It's a good thing she's bigger now, or else she'd be able to squirm out of my grip._

He plopped her down on the towel as gently as he could, but she let out a yelp and rubbed her rear, glaring up at him. "Hey!" She proclaimed. "That hurt my-" Before she could finish her sentence, he pushed her down on her back.

For a brief moment, her eyes widened as he loomed above her, and her heart thrummed in her chest louder than it ever had in her life.

But soon that moment was over, and he grabbed the edge of the towel, pulling it over her and beginning to roll her up inside of the fabric.

"Hey! Stinkbrain!" He could faintly hear the sound of her muffled protests as he finished rolling her up and held onto the other end of the towel with his hand.

She squirmed and wriggled uselessly, trying with no avail to free herself from the makeshift cocoon she now found herself trapped in.

He watched with a satisfied smirk, placing both knees on the ground and keeping her pinned with one arm while the other rested easily on his hip.

"Let me out!" He heard her yell.

"Not until I hear a 'pretty please'," he teased.

"I swear, you big hunkering old bafoon, let me gooooooo!"

He chuckled to himself. "Hmm, with that attitude, I may just have to keep you in here even longer. Now if you wanna get out, you have to say…" He paused, tapping his chin with a finger in contemplation.

"You have to say 'pretty please most awesome and amazing Mr. Ralph, greatest wrecker of all time and most handsome man."

Vanellope felt her cheeks darken immensely at the very last addition. "Come on," she groaned. "Really?" She stopped struggling. "Won't you please just let me out?"

"Not until you say those words," he chimed. "No ma'am."

"Ughhh…." She let out a deep sigh before taking a deep breath and beginning. "Pretty please...most awesome and a-amazing Mr. Ralph...greatest wrecker of all time a-and," she paused for a few moments.

"And?"

She blushed furiously.

"U-uh, most h-handsome man!" She gulped as she let out the final words. Finally, she felt his hand pull away and she immediately rolled herself out of the towel. As soon as it was flat, she stared up at him with an intense stare.

His smirk fell away as he saw the angry glint in her eyes and mischievous smile on her face. "Uh, Vanellope?"

In a flash, she leapt forward with all her might and slammed all of her weight into his chest.

"Oof!" He didn't expect it, but the force of the impact sent him falling backwards into the sand.

When he opened his eyes, he saw directly into hers. Her hands were pressed into his shoulders, and she was holding herself up on top of him, her legs pressed into his hips. She gave him a victorious smirk before realizing the compromising position they were in. Her brown eyes widened to twice her size and her mouth gaped open slightly.

Ralph felt his face flush intensely as they stared silently at one another. For some strange reason, he couldn't seem to tear his stare away from her's. He gulped, and found his gaze travelling down to her slightly parted lips.

His heart started beating faster in faster in his chest and he looked back up to see her eyes staring down at his lips too. They quickly moved to meet his stare and he noticed the bright rosy flush darkening her cheeks.

He hesitantly reached a hand up to gently brush a loose strand of her behind her ear. As his fingers rubbed against her cheek, she looked away and bit her lip. He felt as if all of his resolve was slipping away, lost in the sight of the beautiful Sugar Rush racer now laying on top of him.

"R-Ralph," she managed to squeeze his name out of her throat, feeling her arms begin to shake slightly as the sound of her heart thudding roared in her own ears. "I-I feel like my head is going to explode."

He inhaled sharply at her words, and placed the hand he was brushing her hair back with behind her head. "W-we should probably get up," he choked out, remembering where they were.

He glanced to the side to see the rest of their friends standing at the edge of the sand, drinks in hand, seemingly looking for them. He could make out Taffyta, hand above her eyes to shield the sun, turning in all directions.

Hastily, they both scrambled upright, neither of them making a sound as they stood up and brushed loose sand off of their clothes. They refused to make eye contact in the process, both of them still flustered by their most recent encounter.

Soon enough, the other three racers were making their way towards them. "There you are!" Taffyta exclaimed. She looked around at the spot they chose. "This looks pretty good." She handed Vanellope a lemonade and Rancis stepped forward to give Ralph his water.

The five of them settled down on the towel together, which was surprisingly big enough to even accommodate Ralph.

For a few minutes, they quietly sipped at their drinks and stared at the water.

"Wow," Vanellope whispered. "It's even more beautiful up close." Her friends shared glances and smiled, and Candlehead scooted closer to her.

"It really is," she agreed. "It's my first time seeing it too. Isn't it insane? There's nothing like this in Sugar Rush. I mean, we have our chocolate lakes and ponds, but it's not quite the same."

Vanellope nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's true," she noted. "I can't believe I haven't been her before." She looked over at Ralph with determination in her eyes. "I wanna explore more of the arcade," she announced. "I wanna see what all is out there."

"Well," he said slowly. "We still haven't been to Hero's Duty yet. I suppose we could always take Calhoun up on her offer. I don't know about any of the other games though. I wouldn't want to interfere with anything."

Taffyta shrugged. "Just don't go during the game day."

Vanellope turned and looked at her. "You guys could come with us too!" Her eyes flashed and she grinned broadly. "It would be so fun!"

"I suppose I could take you to see the Pacman game," Ralph added. "I still go to those Bad Anon meetings there. Maybe...maybe you could come with me to one."

"Bad Anon?" Taffyta questioned, letting out a snort. "What kind of dorky thing is that?"

Ralph rolled his eyes at her. "Hush, short stop," he barked. "You're the queen of dorks. Who else walks around with a lollipop in her mouth all the time?"

Her cheeks flushed and she let out a 'hmpf!', crossing her arms.

The other four laughed in amusement, and they all continued in playful banter for a few more minutes.

"Well," Vanellope announced, standing up. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to go swim."


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N~**

 **Thank you all so much for your kind reviews and all the support! It encourages me so much and I'm very thankful for all of my readers. From now on I'm going to try and update every Monday and Friday, but at least one of those days if not both. This time I've got an extra long chapter prepared for you guys, and I think you'll like it. ;) Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

The bright EZ Livin' sun gleamed on their skin and all their surroundings, giving the blue waters of the ocean a glittering cast that dazzled the young brunette racer now staring at them.

She wriggled her toes in the warm, white sands, and let out a sigh of contentment. _This is beyond anything I've ever experienced. It's so...peaceful._ She closed her

eyes and let the warmth of the sun heat up her skin. She could already feel sweat beading on her forehead and beneath her arms.

Rancis was already taking his shirt off, and Candlehead and Taffyta were also removing their outer sundresses to reveal the bathing suits underneath.

Ralph was lost in though, staring at Vanellope as she simply stood in the sand, facing out towards the water, dark hair swaying in the breeze. He smiled at the sight of her. _She looks so peaceful and relaxed. These days it's rare I ever see her like this._

Finally, she turned around to look at him, emerging from her quiet reverie. She gave him a small smile when she noticed him staring at her. Then she turned to her friends as they walked towards the two of them.

Candlehead was wearing a white off-the-shoulder one piece that had a ruffle which flowed down over her chest, and Taffyta was wearing a bright yellow high waisted bikini with small white daisies dotted around the fabric.

"Hey, Vanellope," she said, "Aren't you gonna take off your dress? I thought you said you were ready to go swimming."

Ralph looked away bashfully, scratching the back of his head as color filled his cheeks.

"U-uhm, yeah," she stuttered. "Just a sec." She took in a deep breath, trying to suppress the warmth seeping into her face. _I wonder what Ralph is going to think. Dangit Taffyta...my bathing suit is going to be the most revealing one here._ She mentally groaned and let out the breath she had been holding. She reached up to the thick straps of her sundress and let them slide down her shoulders.

Ralph found himself peeking up at her through his eyelashes, and felt his heart rate pick up instantly. He watched as she slid the dress down over her figure and kick it off onto the towel. His eyes quickly scanned up and down her body, and he felt his breath catch in his throat.

 _By User, why does she have to look like that._ The bathing suit perfectly showed off her slim yet curvy figure while not revealing too much; it still left some to the imagination, which was unfortunate for Ralph's active one.

She crossed her arms over her chest demurely, before looking up at the others with rosy colored cheeks. "There," she said, looking at Taffyta, "Satisfied?"

The blonde gave her a devious smirk. "More than." Next she turned to Ralph. "Well," she started, "You're next."

He looked up with wide eyes and held up his hands. "I don't think so," he retorted. "I am perfectly content to swim with my shirt on."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, so be it I guess." She began walking ahead of them towards the water. "Let's go!" She called over her shoulder. Immediately the rest of them followed.

Candlehead fell in step with Vanellope while Rancis and Ralph walked awkwardly off to the side. "So," she murmured underneath her breath. "Are you okay? You don't feel too uncomfortable do you?"

Vanellope shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered back. "I do feel a little self-conscious I guess. Though don't say anything to Taffyta about it. I don't think she would understand. Also," she paused and shot Ralph a glance. "I don't know what I'm more scared of - Ralph noticing me more or just...not noticing me at all."

Candlehead's eyes glinted with understanding, and she nudged her friend playfully in the arm. "Well, I know one thing for sure. From the look on his face when you took that dress off, it definitely wasn't the latter."

The brunette's face instantly filled up with heat. "R-really? How did he look at me?"

"Well," she began, "His face immediately turned bright red. And his eyes were definitely wandering quite a bit."

She bit her lip and sheepishly played with a strand of her hair. "I don't even know what's going on between me and him anymore. We kind of had a...moment earlier, before you guys got here."

"Really?" Candlehead asked. They reached the edge of the water where everyone stood and she glanced over at Taffyta, who looked mildly suspicious of their conversation. "You can tell me more later if you want," she eased. Vanellope nodded and looked down at her feet. "Don't worry though," she leaned in close so no one could hear. "I'm sure you'll feel more comfortable when we get out there and start swimming."

"Thanks, Candlehead," she whispered back. "You're easy to talk to." She wasn't sure why, but she had always found the easy-going green-haired racer easier to speak with than her more boisterous blonde friend. _Well I guess I do know...Taffyta is just intimidating sometimes._

Vanellope stepped one foot gingerly into the water, shivering as the cool liquid flowed towards her and pooled around both of her feet. After a few moments the tide pulled back into the ocean. She watched, fascinated for a minute or two as it ebbed and flowed back and forth. She finally began to take a few steps further into the water before letting out a squeal as it rushed around her calves.

"It's cold!" She exclaimed, clutching her arms as goosebumps rose up across her skin. Ralph came up next to her, chuckling in amusement.

"Come on," he eased, holding out a hand towards her. "It gets better the longer you've been in." She glanced at his hand and took in a deep breath. "Everyone else is already further ahead." She looked up to see Taffyta, Candlehead, and Ranics all goofing around further in the water, laughing and splashing each other back and forth. They were already submerged up to their shoulders.

"Okay," she muttered, reluctantly accepting his hand by placing her small one inside his palm. Slowly and steadily, they walked together further into the waves. She grimaced as the water rose up with each step to touch more and more of her skin.

"Okay, okay," she exclaimed, stopping when it reached her waist. "This stuff is _way_ too cold. I have to get out."

Her large wrecker let out a laugh. "Okay, I see what needs to be done her." She looked up at him in confusion, and in an instant, he was picking her up again underneath her legs.

"Ahh, Ralph, let me go!" She began beating incessantly on her chest and squealing as he walked further and further into the ocean. "Raaaaaallllppphhh!"

He smirked in amusement as he finally drew near to the other races. The noise caused them to turn their heads and watch the ensuing spectacle. "Alright, Van, here we go," he announced, before bending down and submerging both of them completely in the water.

After a moment they resurfaced, and she was sputtering and laughing. "Ra-alph," she groaned. "You big Stinkbrain!" She gave him one last playful slap before looking up at him with a smirk and joyful glint in her eyes. He smiled back down at her, relishing in the sight of her sleek black hair plastered down to her head and face, messily tangling itself around her shoulders.

"You're welcome, your majesty," he teased back.

After a few seconds, he lowered her down to stand in the water, until she stood with it rising up to her shoulders. Meanwhile, it only came up to the middle of his stomach.

"I keep realizing again and again how short you guys are," he remarked, looking around at all of them. "It's kind of strange."

"It's not that _we're_ short," Taffyta remarked. "It's just that _you're_ freakishly tall."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He looked down at Vanellope. "What do you think?" He asked, referring to the water.

She looked around either side of her, lifting her arms up out of the cold water and letting it run between her fingers and down her skin. She then experimentally splashed lightly on the surface and looked up at him, grinning. "I love it!" She exclaimed. "It's soooo cool!"

He couldn't contain the wide beam that stretched across his face. He loved these moments of wonder that filled her. It reminded him so much of the Vanellope before the update. _She's still the same Vanellope, you doofus. Just...different._

He playfully sent a gentle splash of water her way, and she shielded her face with one arm.

"Hey!" She exclaimed with a giggle, before returning the favor with a splash of her own. The two continued on like this for a few minutes, playfully splashing each other and swimming back and forth in the water. Soon enough, the others joined in their game and they were all sending huge waves of water at each other all around their circle.

Every time Ralph didn't concentrate as much on being gentle, he ended up pushing back all four Sugar Rush racers about a foot with the force of the huge splosh he sent their way. They all coughed and spattered water out of their mouths.

"Hey, you big oaf! Stop being so clumsy!" Vanellope laughed at one point, before kicking her leg high up above the water and letting the force of its impact on the way down spray him with a jet of the cold salty liquid.

After spending about half an hour swimming and playing around in the water, they decided it was about time to get out, so they began slowly trudging through the water and towards their bag left out on the shore. Finally they reached it and began silently drying themselves off with the towels.

"Wow," Ralph said as he held up and examined the towel Taffyta had packed for him. "I really am surprised you managed to find something this big for me in Sugar Rush."

They all let out a laugh at this remark, and Vanellope shook her head with a smile. _There's something about my goofy Stinkbrain that just makes me smile all the time._

She wrapped the towel around herself and sat down on the one that was spread down on the sand. "Ah," she breathed. "It feels so nice to be sitting out in the sun after getting out of that ice cold water." She rubbed her arms with her hands. "I'm still a little cold from being in there."

Ralph shrugged and sat next to her, spreading his arms out behind him and leaning on his hands for support. "It really isn't even that bad," he responded. "I don't think the water is really cold. The sun, on the other hand," he tugged at the collar of his damp shirt. "That's what's killing me."

Vanellope curiously reached over and lay her cold hand on his arm. He flinched slightly. "Gosh, Vanellope! Why are you so cold?"

"I don't know!" She yelped. "Why are you so warm?!" He chuckled and laid his rather large hand on top of hers.

"I don't know." He left his hand on hers for a few moments. "I guess I am a lot larger than you. You must just be cold natured for some reason."

The others sat down around them. "I'm pretty cold natured too," Candlehead chimed in. "Which is funny, considering my name is literally something very warm."

Taffyta smirked as she sat down beside her. "There's many things about you that are warm," she noted, "And compliments from me are rare, so don't talk about it again."

They all laughed softly at this, and Rancis shifted uncomfortably beside her.

"I think I'm in the same boat as you and Vanellope." He shivered. "Maybe I should've worn a shirt swimming and Ralph should've gone without."

"I'm definitely not cold natured," Taffyta pondered aloud. "But I'm not particularly warm either." She shrugged. "Guess I'm just average."

Rancis eyed her contemplatively. "You're definitely anything but average."

She felt a faint blush across her cheeks. "What is that supposed to mean?" She barked.

He held up his hands in defense. "It was a compliment!" He assured her. "Well," he smirked, "I suppose it could also mean other things."

"Hey!" She smacked him on the shoulder with small smile. "You're one to talk!"

Vanellope smiled at the antics of her two friends, then leaned over to murmur into Ralph's ear. "Is it just me, or does there seem to be something brewing between those two?"

He looked at her in surprise. "Maybe," he agreed. "I hadn't really thought about it. Then again," he paused and looked away. "They aren't really acting much different from the way me and you do."

She felt her face heat up, and inhaled sharply. "Yeah, well.." she mumbled, trailing off and leaning away again. She wasn't sure what to say in response.

She picked up her lemonade and began sipping slowly. "What time do you think it is?" She asked, looking up at the sky.

Ralph shrugged. "I don't know, probably about one or two?"

"It's almost 2 o'clock," Taffyta announced. "We should go get some lunch!" She exchanged a look with Rancis and Candlehead and gave them a smirk.

* * *

A little while later, their crew was walking across the beach, looking out for a place to eat.

Vanellope spotted out a little food stand with their menu placed on the wall beside the counter. "Why don't we go there?" She suggested. Once everyone else was in agreement, they made their way over and studied the sign.

After a few minutes of pondering, they decided to order a couple of pizzas - one for Ralph and another for the other four racers. "We'll go scout out a picnic bench or somewhere to sit," Taffyta announced, pulling both Candlehead and Rancis towards her. "You two can wait for the food!" They quickly scurried off, leaving Vanellope and Ralph alone in front of the food stand.

"So…" Vanellope began. "About what you said earlier…"

Ralph knew full well what she was referring to, but decided to play naive, hoping maybe she would change the subject. "What did I say earlier?" He asked, averting his eyes.

She lightly punched his shoulder. "Come on, Stinkbrain," she said softly, "You know what I'm talking about. I said that thing about Taffyta and Rancis, and then you said-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Ralph interrupted her. "I know what I said." He let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head. "Listen, kid," he said, looking down at his feet. "It was just a joke, okay? Nothing more. Obviously, you know, there's nothing quote on quote 'brewing' over...here…" He trailed off lamely, refusing to meet her eyes.

She felt her face heat up with embarrassment. "Oh." She didn't know what more to say besides that. She laced her fingers behind her back and stared down at the sand. She could feel salty tears beginning to sting the corners of her eyes. She wasn't sure why, but she could feel a tense knot of disappointment tighten in her stomach.

A painfully awkward silence fell over them as they continued to wait for their pizzas. As soon as they were given to them, they walked off to look for the other racers. They quickly spotted them not far off sitting at a table and chatting.

As they approached the table, Ralph kidded, "Something tells me you guys just didn't wanna help carry the pizzas."

Taffyta shrugged with a smirk. "Touche." She quickly noticed the downcast look on Vanellope's face and dropped her smile. She slid around the table to sit beside her best friend as everyone else started digging into the food. "Hey Van," she whispered, "Is something wrong? I figured I should let you and Ralph have some alone time so you could-"

"That's just it," Vanellope snapped, staring down at her hands. "Ralph just told me there's no way that anything could happen between us."

"Oh." Taffyta took in a deep breath and looked up at the others. She reached over to the box of pizza and grabbed a slice, trying to look nonchalant. "I'm sorry, Van. I-I didn't know. I thought for sure-"

"Yeah, well," Vanellope cut her off. "You seem to think a lot of things for sure that don't line up, dontcha?" She too reached for a pizza slice and took a small bite. She could see her blonde friend flinch from the corner of her eyes, and her expression filled with hurt. She felt a tear roll down her cheek.

Taffyta let out a sigh and tried to let the comment roll off of her. _I shouldn't let it ruffle my feathers. She's obviously not in a good state right now._ "Do you wanna go to the bathroom?" She asked her.

Vanellope sighed and hastily wiped the tear from her face. "Sure," she responded. "Just let me finish this slice."

They both quickly finished up their pizza and stood up to depart. "We're going to the bathroom," Taffyta announced, shooting Candlehead a knowing look.

"Me too!" The green haired girl exclaimed, standing up as well and hurrying off with the other two.

Once they left Ralph gave Rancis a questioning look, and he simply shrugged. "Girls, right?" He joked. "If one goes, they all go."

Meanwhile, all three girls were filing into the public bathroom.

"What's going on?" Candlehead queried, and Vanellope shook her head in response.

"When you guys left," she responded, "I asked Ralph about something he had said earlier which basically hinted that there was something brewing between us. And, he told me it was just a joke and that there's 'obviously nothing quote on quote 'brewing' over here.'" She folded her arms over her chest and sighed before giving herself a heavy face palm.

She groaned loudly into her hand. "Why in the world did I ever think that maybe he...he liked me?"

"Because," Taffyta responded instantly, "He sure as heck acts like it all the time!" She grabbed Vanellope's arms and pulled them down away from her. "Look at me, Van," she barked.

With a sigh, the brunette lifted her eyes to meet Taffyta's blue ones. "What?" She moaned.

"Listen," she began. "No matter how many times he may try to deny it, there is absolutely _no way_ that dorky wrecker doesn't have feelings for you. Every time you enter the _room_ I see him light up. When you took off your sundress earlier it looked like he turned into a tomato. All day it's been the five of us hanging out, yet who has he constantly kept his eyes glued to? You. Come on, Van, it's so obvious."

"Then why would he say that?" She snapped. "Besides," she shrugged away from Taffyta's grip. "It's not like it really matters. He still sees me as a little kid." She sighed deeply. "And there's nothing I can do about it."

Taffyta crosses her arms and shook her head.

"Taffyta is right," Candlehead eased. "The way Ralph looks at you...I've never seen anyone look at somebody else like that."

Vanellope sighed. "Like I said, it doesn't matter. Let's just go back outside, okay?" She looked up at Taffyta guiltily. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier, Taff."

Taffyta shrugged. "It's all good. Come on, let's go back outside." The three of them wandered back out of the bathroom and headed towards the boys.

* * *

Once they all finished lunch, it was already almost three o'clock. They tidied up their area and threw away the boxes, before gathering together again to decide where to go.

"Ooh, ooh, I have an idea!" Taffyta exclaimed excitedly. "I say we go and explore the jungle some! Me and Rancis looked around some last time, but there's still much more we wanna see. They have some trails throughout, but we found this really nice spot just a little bit away from the trail."

She turned to Rancis and Candlehead. "You two go and look for a place to get some waters, and I'll lead them to the trails since I know where we're going." She gave the two of them a small wink before turning around and leading Vanellope and Ralph off in the opposite direction.

"So, I take it we're heading towards...that?" Vanellope pointed ahead of them to what looked like the most dense area of trees and plants she had ever seen in her life. The vibrant, lush vegetation of the jungle seemed to stretch on for miles and miles.

"You've got that right!" Taffyta exclaimed. "There's the start of a trail not too far from here. Come on!" She bolted off in a run, and unenthusiastically Ralph and Vanellope followed not too far behind.

Within a minute or two, they came up upon the edge of the jungle, all three of them panting and out of breath. "Here it is," Taffyta announced with a grin. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Vanellope stepped forward to peer into the opening and look through the trees. "Wow," she breathed. "It looks crazy in there! So much...green!"

Both Ralph and Taffyta laughed at this remark, exchanging glances.

"Okay, so," Taffyta began, walking ahead of them and heading down the trail. "There's a spot a little ways down that would be the perfect place to start out. Just follow me."

The three of them continued walking down the mulch covered trail, snaking through the jungle in a confusing pattern of movements.

Vanellope looked around her, wide eyed, as she surveyed her surroundings. She could hear birds chirping away and making all kinds of different noises, as well as frogs and other wildlife singing their cacophony of interesting sounds.

The trees and plants were all vibrant and colorful, painting the environment around them in a beautiful rainbow and colors and textures.

After a few minutes, Taffyta veered off of the path and waited for them to catch up to her. "Straight ahead that way," she said, pointing off into the distance with her finger. "Keep walking until you reach the small clearing with nothing but small purple flowers. Once you get there, turn right and look for a pond with flowers all around the edge. There's no mistaking it. You guys find it and wait there, I'm gonna go look for Rancis and Candlehead and make sure they find their way alright."

Vanellope opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get out a word, Taffyta was sprinting back down the path, blonde locks swinging behind her.

She groaned inwardly and crossed her arms with a sigh. She held out her white sundress, which had been folded over her arm, and slipped it back on over her body. She pulled it up and slid the straps up her arms.

"I don't know why we couldn't have just waited for them to get water and all gone together," Ralph grumbled, tapping his foot in agitation.

"Why?" Vanellope snapped, her cheeks flushing. "Is it too awkward being here with just me?"

Ralph flinched at her words and watched as she stormed out in front of him in the direction Taffyta had pointed.

"Vanellope, wait!" He called out, hurrying to catch up to her. "Of course not! We've been hanging out by ourselves for ages now! Why would it be awkward?"

"You said it yourself," she huffed, refusing to look at him. "Things are different now."

"They don't have to be different," he retorted. "Come on, Vanellope. I don't know why you're so upset right now, but I'm sorry. We're best friends, remember? Can we just go back to the way things were before? I just wanna be here and have fun with you."

She let out a sigh and crossed her arms self consciously. "I guess," she murmured, still looking away.

For a few minutes they walked on in silence before he asked her, "What is it we're supposed to be looking for?"

"Purple flowers?" She questioned aloud, looking around as they continued walking. "I think those are it." She pointed to a small cluster of blue-ish purple flowers. They approached the plant and she tilted her head while staring at them. "Those look purple to you, right?"

"I mean, they look kinda blue, but I'm sure it's fine." He looked off to the right, scrunching his brow. "I sure hope we don't get lost in here."

Vanellope shrugged. "I'm sure it'll be okay. Even if we do, we can't be that far off from where they wanted us to be. I'm sure they'll come rescue us."

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Sugar Rush, a certain green-haired racer was walking down the hallway of the castle. Still clad in her comfy clothes, Azalea Von Schweetz waltzed down the hall of the east wing, where her and Vanellope resided.

This part of the castle was also home to the game's code room.

Her low ponytail flicked behind her with every step, and she clutched the massive Sugar Rush code book in her right arm as she walked. Each step resounded through the empty hallway.

 _Thank User everybody is out of the castle today. Who knew I would have an opportunity like this come up so soon?_

She continued her walk down the long corridor, finally ending up at the large, pearly white doors of the code room. She held up the code book in front of her, opening up its pages to where her fingers held her spot.

Now, instead of the traditional controller-styled entrance mechanism, the doors were controlled with a simple computer monitor needing a six-digit passkey. Within the code book was said code.

She hurriedly typed in the six numbers and watched as the huge doors opened up slowly.

From where she stood, she could see the reflection of tiny blue, glittering boxes bouncing around the walls of the small tunnel leading into the main area. She walked forward and picked up the belt meant to strap around her waist, and slipped it over her legs, tightening it on once she did.

She continued walking the short distance through the tunnel and came out into a massive room filled with thousands of small blue and purple boxes of code. She smirked, still clutching the code book in her hands, and gazed around.

She took a step off the landing and floated upwards through the massive space, gazing around her as many shades of blue sparkled in her vision.

She swam her way through the space, searching through the countless boxes until she finally got to the center of the room.

There, at the center, was the code box of Queen Vanellope herself. She smiled, her fingers twitching with longing to just reach forward and yank the code box out of its position.

 _I must control myself_ , she thought, _I'm just here to memorize the layout and take a look at what I'm dealing with. I still have to figure out what I actually want to_ do _to mess with her._

She tapped her chin in contemplation. _I could just steal her throne and become the Queen myself, but that would be no fun. Besides,_ she let out a sigh. _I know if I do that, I won't necessarily be her rival anymore...and it could cause more trouble for me than what it's worth._

Her last thoughts were then spoken out loud.

"For now, I wait and see."

* * *

Half an hour later, Ralph and Vanellope were now wandering aimlessly around the confusing EZ Livin' jungles.

"Ughhh, I can't take this any longer," Vanellope groaned, plopping herself down onto a large rock. "I can't believe we've gotten ourselves lost in here. Taffyta's directions were pretty clear, right? We must both be major Stinkbrains."

Ralph eyed her in amusement and let out a long sigh. "I'm with you there." He sat down on the ground beside her and shook his head. "Unless...you don't think this was all a ploy, do you?"

"What do you mean?" She asked in confusion.

"Well," he said, scratching the back of his head and sheepishly looking down. "I just mean, like, you know, a ploy to get us alone."

She stared off into the distance and shook her head. "You're probably right, honestly," she agreed, putting her face into her hands as she felt warmth spread into her cheeks. "I swear, when we get back, those three are gonna get a real earful."

"What are you gonna do, ground them?" Ralph teased, playfully nudging her with his arm. "Besides," he said softly, "It isn't too bad out here."

She looked up at him and met his eyes. The tension grew thick in the atmosphere as they both finally felt their barriers melting and their gazes met in a tender, longing lock.

"I guess there's worse people I could be stuck here with," she said with a grin, "Even though you are a big Stinkbrain."

He let out a boisterous laugh. "Yeah, but I know you love me."

Her gaze softened and she shook her head. "Of course I love you, Ralph."

They turned away from each other, both blushing, and stared around at the beautiful scenery surrounding them. They sat still and listened to the cheerful melody of jungle life as it sounded off to the beat of its own messy orchestra.

"You know," Ralph began, breaking the silence. "Ever since you came glitching into my life, Vanellope, nothing's ever been the same...My whole system, my whole way of being. You glitched it all up." He looked at her with a smile. "You were the first person to ever accept me...to be my friend. I value that friendship more than anything else in this entire arcade."

She grinned back at him as her eyes gleamed lovingly. She could feel them begin to sting with the threat of oncoming tears, though this time was much different from her suppressed crying a few hours before.

"Ralph," she croaked out. "I feel exactly the same. I am so, so glad you came tumbling into Sugar Rush that day. You...you saved me. Without you I would still be living in Diet Cola mountain..I would be friendless, and alone, unable to ever leave my game. I wouldn't have become a racer, and I certainly wouldn't have become Queen _or_ President. You're the first person who's ever shown me kindness. I am so, so thankful for you, Ralph."

The two edged closer together, and she pressed her cheek gently on top of his shoulder. They sat for a few minutes in companionable silence.

"Do you wanna move on or stay here?" He asked her.

"Let's stay here," she answered. "I'm tired and besides, if they do eventually come looking for us, it'll be easier for them to find us this way."

* * *

Meanwhile, on another part of the island, Rancis, Taffyta, and Candlehead were all lined up together at a tropical themed bar, clinking their glasses of mixed drinks together triumphantly.

"Woohoo!" Taffyta exclaimed, taking a sip of her margarita. "We've finally gotten those two lovebirds alone and lost together. And judging by the looks those two have been giving each other all day, those confessions are bound to spill in no time."

"And it's almost four," Rancis announced, grinning broadly as he looked up at the sky. "Let's give them 'til sunset before we go looking for 'll give them plenty of time."

"Ah," Taffyta breathed. "Isn't that so romantic? Sitting alone together watching the sunset…" She trailed off, staring dreamily into the distance.

Candlehead and Rancis exchanged a look. "Since when are you interested in romance?" The green haired girl teased, giggling softly.

Taffyta's cheeks heated up immediately. She couldn't help throwing a look quickly over at Rancis and turning back to her drink. "N-never!" She hastily replied. "I just-I mean-y-you know, for- for them of course! Not, haha...not me!"

Candlehead rolled her eyes and looked over at Rancis to see his reaction. However, he was staring at Taffyta wistfully, a small smile on his face. "Is that so?" He prodded.

"O-of course!" She defended, looking back up at him. They locked eyes for a few moments before they both turned away, cheeks pink.

Candlehead laughed quietly and shook her head. She looked at the drink placed in front of her that Taffyta had urged her to try. "Are you sure that this...mimosa...is any good?" She asked, sniffing it skeptically.

"Of course I'm sure!" Taffyta replied. "Go ahead and try it!"

Candlehead slowly sipped from the orange liquid. "Hmm," she murmured, "This is unlike anything I've ever had before, but...it's good!"

"Haha, told you so!" Taffyta laughed, smiling at her and trying to forget the momentary attention that had been placed on her feelings towards 'romance.' "I propose a toast," she stated, lifting her glass up above the counter. "To Ralph and Vanellope!"

Candlehead smiled, lifting her glass up as well. "To Ralph and Vanellope."

Rancis nodded in agreement and joined in. "To Ralph and Vanellope."

The three racers clinked their glass together and laughed cheerfully, sharing in joint excitement this moment of anticipation.

* * *

It was about five o'clock now, and Vanellope and Ralph sat in the same spot as earlier. Now, she was comfortable nestled into his chest, quietly dozing as he wrapped an arm around her to keep her up.

He himself hadn't been able to fall asleep. His heart thrummed loudly and consistently in his chest as he felt Vanellope's body heat seep into his own and he watched the slight rise and fall of her breathing.

He let out a deep sigh. _I'm getting a little tired of sitting around here, but...I don't really wanna disturb her._

She began to stir in her sleep, slowly coming back into consciousness, and he let out a breath of relief.

"R-Ralph?" She asked uncertainly, blinking her eyes open and looking at him in confusion. "How long have I been asleep?"

He shrugged. "Probably around an hour," he conceded. Her brown eyes immediately grew wide.

"You let me sleep for that long?! And the others still haven't come to find us?!"

He chuckled softly as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Without thinking he kept his arm looped around her waist, keeping her pulled in close to him.

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" He asked her. "Something tells me they're not coming to find us anytime soon."

She nodded bashfully, beginning to realize the proximity between them. She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed, and bit her lip before looking quickly away.

"Are you okay?" He gently prodded. "Is there something on your mind?"

"N-no. I'm alright," she answered quickly. "A walk sounds great."

They both stood up somewhat reluctantly, and stretched out their tired limbs. "Ahh," Ralph let out a long sigh, reaching both arms out in front of him. "That feels _much_ better."

"Where do you wanna walk to?" She asked him, trying to tear her eyes away from the sight of his toned muscles as he stretched them past her.

"I'll let you decide," he responded, redirecting the decision back to her.

She rolled her eyes playfully and smiled. "Alright you indecisive lug, let's go." She began walking off through what looked like a semi-clear path underneath an overhanging canopy of trees.

He followed closely behind, and they walked through the clear, nature-made path silently, enjoying each other's presence and the sounds and sights of nature around them.

At some point, Ralph spotted a particularly pretty bright red flower, poking out from among the leaves and branches. Without her noticing, he carefully picked it from its bush, and came up behind her.

"Vanellope," he called softly. She turned around to face him and smiled when she noticed the flower resting inside his cupped hands. "Come here."

As gently as he possibly could, he picked up the flower and tucked it tenderly behind one of her ears. He leaned forward in concentration, his face hovering just above hers as he secured the flower the best he could.

"There." He dropped his hands away from her face and looked down into her eyes. "You look beautiful, Vanny," he breathed lovingly.

Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she gave him a cheesy grin. "Thanks, Ralph."

For a moment they remained still, eyes locked, before pulling away and resuming their walk.

For about an hour they walked aimlessly, easily chatting and laughing as they relished in each other's company, teasing and kidding with each other lightly.

Finally, they came upon a small clearing, that took Vanellope's breath away as soon as she saw it.

In the very center, there was a small pond, surrounded by bundles and bundles of beautiful tropical flowers of all different sizes, shapes, and colors. Several small butterflies flew around, alighting on the flowers for a few seconds before flitting off to find a new one.

"Wow," Ralph breathed, looking around in astonishment. "This is...gorgeous."

Vanellope began to walk forward, inhaling the sweet fragrant air as she approached the lively little pond. The ground was blanketed in soft grass and even more flowers. She watched her step carefully, afraid to step on and crush the pretty blossoms.

"Let's sit here awhile," she suggested, settling herself gently onto a patch of grass surrounded by blue and purple blooms. She stared out at the water, stretching her legs out in front of her. With her knees bent upwards, her toes just reached the edge of the pool of water. "Come sit with me," she said with a smile, patting the clear space next to her.

Ralph stood uncertainly at the edge of the clearing. "I don't know," he worried slowly, "Everything here looks so delicate. I'm afraid I might wreck it all."

Vanellope laughed softly. "Aw, come on, Ralph, it's okay. Even if you do smush a little flower or two, it's not the end of the world. I'm sure even I crushed a couple of them. That's the beauty of it all though." She looked around wistfully. "No matter how many of these flowers you step on, they'll just grow back."

He gave her his famous gap-toothed smile and shook his head. "Okay, okay, I'm coming."

He very carefully made his way across the clearing towards her, trying his best to avoid as many of the flowers as he could. He finally found himself settling down beside her, sitting as close as he possibly could to keep from harming the blossoms around him.

She eyed him warmly, giving him a teasing smirk. "For being such a big oaf, you're more gentle than most people I know."

He felt his cheeks flushed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, well, you must not know many people," he countered playfully.

She giggled in response, rolling her eyes as she shook her head.

They sat together in perfectly harmonious silence, gazing at the beauty of the jungle around them. The flowers and water seemed to glow whimsically in the rays of setting sunlight which caught them in its rays.

"Hey, Ralph," Vanellope murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Were you really joking earlier, when you said that-"

"No, no," he cut her off hastily. "I'm sorry Vanellope...I wasn't joking, though. I was just scared when you asked me about it. I didn't know what to say. The truth is," he turned and faced her, meeting her eyes with surprising confidence. She felt almost dazed at the nearness of his face to hers, and her cheeks flushed red. "The truth is, ever since this update...my feelings about you have changed a lot. I've always known I love you like a friend. I care very deeply about you and you're my dearest friend. But after you changed...well, it was impossible not to notice so many other things about you. You're incredibly beautiful, you make me laugh, you're intelligent and fiery, yet also sweet and sincere. There's something about you that makes me feel comfortable and nervous at the same time, and somehow...I love it."

She took in a deep breath as he furrowed his brow and kept his piercing eyes locked on hers. "Vanellope Von Schweetz," the world seemed to stop before his next words came out. "There's no denying I'm in love with you."

"R-Ralph," she felt herself begin to tremble as she slowly became lost in his fierce stare. He inched closer to her slowly and brought a large hand up to ever-so-tenderly cup it around her chin.

"Ralph," she began, a little more firm, "I'm...I'm in love with you too...By User, I think I've had a crush on you since before the update. You make me feel safe and special and worthy in so many ways and more than anyone else I've ever known. And I love being there for you and helping you when you feel down or alone. I just want...I want to be there for you and be your best friend forever. I feel like I can trust you, like I can lean on you and rely on you, more than anyone else."

"And I wanna be your best friend forever," he confirmed. "And I want to make you feel safe and protect you forever."

By this time her heart was pounding louder and louder with each passing second. She leaned towards him, and he carefully brushed his fingers over her cheek. She closed her eyes and smiled sweetly, taking in a shaky breath.

"Vanellope," he murmured, closing his eyes and drawing close.

Their lips met delicately in a tender embrace, and he felt sparks of electricity shoot through his code. For an instant, she glitched out accidentally, feeling her code flutter in a confusing flurry of intensity and emotion.

He pulled back in concern, his face darkening rapidly. "A-are you okay?"

"Yeah," she assured bashfully, looking up through her lashes. "Sorry, I don't know what happened. My code just sort of-"

He cut her off with his lips pressed once more against hers, shushing her in the sweetest way he possibly could.

She felt herself melt into the kiss, scooching her body closer to his and resting her chest against his. He brought one arm up to place on her waist and kept the other one trained on her cheek.

His blood boiled and burned in the most pleasant way as he moved his lips slowly in time with hers. He could feel his code whir and jolt in excitement, coursing through his body in ways he never felt before.

Her dark hair fell out from behind her ear, and he brushed it back lovingly, pressing himself more and more into the kiss.

Finally, they separated for air, their breathing heavy and eyelids loosely shut. She could feel her very core shaking, and she looked up to meet his gaze. He smiled bashfully and she returned a grin of her own.

"Why does it feel like I've been waiting for this for so long?" He asked her, causing her cheeks to flush even darker.

"Probably because we both were," she teasingly replied, biting her lip in anticipation of his response.

Instead of saying anything back, he gently pressed forward into her, laying her down beneath him into a bed of flowers. She inhaled sharply at his actions, staring up at him with wide brown eyes.

"Have I told you you look beautiful?" He asked, staring hungrily into her face.

She gave him a nervous smile. "Yeah."

He supported himself with his arms on either side of her and dove in to meet her lips for another kiss.

She pressed into him just as eagerly, and their mouths slowly and searchingly moved against each other in a daze-worthy dance.

She could feel his breathing grow more labored as he leaned over her, and she could feel new warmth seeping throughout her entire body.

The butterflies danced around them in the air, and once in a while one would stop to perch upon Ralph's shoulder for a few seconds before floating away.

The passion in their kiss deepened, and every so often they would break apart to gasp for air, as if they were diving under the water and pulling up over the surface for a few seconds. With each passing minute, they found themselves getting more and more carried away by the intensity of each other's touch.

She tightened her grip on his shoulders, curling her toes in her shoes as he gently bit down on her lower lip, lightly scraping it across his teeth with just enough force to send hot tingles down her spine.

Ralph pulled himself away, only to plant small, soft kisses along her jawline. Unwittingly, she let out a small noise of pleasure, and he felt something twist deep down in his gut. He moved down to her neck, only hearing the pounding of his heart in his head and the soft moans he was eliciting from her mouth.

"Ralph... " She quietly called out his name, and he brushed the top of his nose back up the smooth white skin of her neck as he came back up to the surface.

She opened her eyes to stare into his, still panting and feeling as if her chest was going to explode.

He smiled bashfully as he tenderly wiped a few strands of black hair clinging to her forehead.

"Was that your first kiss?" He asked curiously. When she nodded slowly, he added, "I hope that I lived upto your expectations."

She felt a faint blush cover her cheeks. "Well, I never really had any expectations…" She murmured. "But I'd say you have nothing to worry about...was it your first?"

He nodded back at her. "I'm glad I could share it with you." He gently ran her fingers across her cheek, and she smiled as she leaned her face into his touch.

"Me too." She whispered.

In the distance, they could hear the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs, and Vanellope thought she saw the flash of a headlight break through the trees. "Looks like the party's over," she muttered sheepishly.

Ralph rolled his eyes. "Looks like a certain group of racers decided to finally come save us."

Vanellope giggled. "I'm not sure saving is quite the right word."

He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, and reached down a hand to help her do the same. They both rose to their feet and dusted any bits of grass they could find off of their clothing.

He stared at her wistfully as she fussed over her white sundress. "I love you, Vanellope."

She looked up at him in surprise and gave him her biggest grin. "I love you too, Stinkbrain."


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

Bright white lights flooded the clearing and suddenly the sound of an engine could be heard, screaming noisily above the cacophony of jungle sounds, and Ralph and Vanellope exchanged a look of confusion.

Within a few moments, a larger motorcycle came into view, and on it was none other than their male blonde-haired racer friend.

"Rancis!" Vanellope exclaimed, running towards him as he braked and parked his vehicle. Ralph followed cautiously behind. She ran her hands along the side of the vehicle while he laughed sheepishly and stepped off of the seat. "Woooahh," she breathed, admiring the sharp lines and ferocious appearance of the jet black bike. "Where did _this_ come from?"

"I just borrowed it from the EZ Livin' Search and Rescue team." He gestured with his arm towards the rear of the vehicle. "Come on guys, Taff and Candlehead are waiting for us. There's room for three on here...Surprisingly."

"Room for three of you, maybe," Ralph scoffed as he walked around the side of it to get a better look. He squinted carefully. "Are you sure that thing'll be able to hold me? You should've probably brought two."

"Well," Rancis sighed, "They only let us take one. So, this is as good as it gets." He himself looked towards the rear of the vehicle. "I'm sure it'll work out fine."

Ralph sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"How about you just hold Vanellope in your lap?" Rancis suggested, somewhat mischievously.

Ralph exchanged an exasperated glance with Vanellope. "Something tells me this was just another setup."

"No doubt," she muttered back. "Well," she said louder, looking playfully over at Ralph. "Whatcha waiting for?"

He climbed carefully onto the back seat of the motorcycle and pulled her up gingerly into his lap, holding her legs firmly with one hand and wrapping his other around her back and resting it gingerly on her stomach.

She stared up at him with an unreadable gaze, and gave him a small wistful smile. He smiled back at her, eyes filled with longing, and let out a small chuckle. "You know," he whispered, as Ralph climbed into the front seat. "There's part of me that _really_ wants to kiss you right now."

It took all she had in her to suppress the laughter trying to bubble up. "Maybe we should wait until we're alone."

A toothy grin slowly spread across his face. "Are you giving me permission to kiss you again, Miss Vanellope Von Schweetz?"

She smirked and rolled her eyes playfully. "We'll see…" She paused, suddenly remembering the exact words he had said to her earlier that same day. "Maybe if you behave, I'll show you sometime."

He felt his cheeks flush and let out a boisterous laugh.

"Hang on tight," Rancis advised, revving up the engine and letting it roar back into light. "We're on our way back."

Ralph clutched onto Vanellope for dear life as Rancis slowly turned the motorcycle around, before speeding gracefully away through the jungle.

After meeting back up with Candlehead and Taffyta and returning their rescue vehicle, the five of them began their trek back up to EZ Livin's exit. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon now, and the sky was steadily growing dark. They could even see the small pixelated crescent moon rising up in the sky.

They all walked up the long trail in amiable chatter, though the events of the day had certainly taken its toll on them. They were all just about worn out, and secretly couldn't wait to get back to their games.

After teleporting back inside Litwak's laptop, they all raced clumsily back towards the train station that would take them to the station of Litwak's Office.

They climbed wearily onto the monorail, everyone eager to sit down, if only for a few minutes. Vanellope and Ralph slumped down together on the same bench, and she leaned her cheek tiredly against his arm.

He smiled down at her, amused by the fact that while sitting there, she couldn't quite reach his shoulder with her head. He watched as he eyelids slowly fell down and shut over her large brown orbs. A surge of adoration filled his chest as he observed the beautiful young woman sitting next to him.

 _There's no way I could ever look at her like she's a kid anymore. She's grown and blossomed so much this past week. She's so incredible, and beautiful too._

Time seemed to pass quickly, and soon enough, the monorail was pulling into the station, and he gently shook Vanellope awake before all five of them climbed sleepily off and walked through the station. By now, they were all silent, their bones thoroughly soaked in the weariness of the day.

"I could sure use a good reset," Rancis yawned, stretching his arms above his head.

"I wish we were in Game Central Station already," Taffyta groaned, as she stepped onto yet another monorail. "I am so _sick_ of stupid monorails."

Vanellope chuckled softly, leaning into Ralph for support as he helped her up the steps. "Up we go," he announced semi-cheerfully. The sleepy racer stumbled clumsily in front of him, and he gently placed a hand on the small of her back to direct her.

"I'm...so...tiiirrreeeddd," she moaned, reaching for the railing and using it to pull herself up. They finally made it onto the monorail and into the seats.

"You know," Ralph began as she sprawled herself out on the bench, resting the back of her head against his leg. "I remember just last week, the first time I took you out of the game, you were so excited you refused to even sit."

"Yeah, well," she let out a tired yawn. "Back then I was like...ten years old. I had much more sugar running through my code, it seems." She pulled her legs up closer to her body and twisted so she could rest her cheek on top of his leg. "You're comfy, Stinkbrain," she whispered.

He let out a soft chuckle. "Who knew I would be level-headed one while tired?" He asked rhetorically, letting out a long, low yawn and gently stroking his fingers through her hair.

Meanwhile, Taffyta and Rancis sat across the aisle from them. She too was dozing off, resting her head unknowingly on the other blonde's shoulder. He shared an amused look with Ralph and shrugged with a sheepish smile. Candlehead was laying down on the bench, her head in Taffyta's lap.

After a little while, the monorail slowly pulled into Game Central Station, and all of them were hurrying themselves off, filled with new anticipation at the thought of reaching their comfortable beds.

They wandered towards Sugar Rush's outlet, and the five of them stopped uncertainly just outside.

Ralph looked longingly down at Vanellope as she sleepily clung on to him and rubbed her eyes. He then looked back up at Rancis and the others. "You guys'll look after her from here?"

Rancis gave him a firm nod and a smile. "Don't worry, bud, we've got it covered."

Just as he was about to say goodnight and walk away, Vanellope pulled insistently on his shirt. He bent down slightly to look into her eyes. "Don't go," she protested, staring up at him intently. "I want you to walk with me to the castle. You can stay in the guest wing if you want. Just please...don't go yet."

He sighed, then shot a look up at the other races. Taffyta snorted in amusement. "She's the President," she teased, "I guess you gotta listen to her."

He shook his head and smiled down at the tired brunette. "Alright, alright," he sighed. "I'll go with you."

She grinned widely and clasped her hand firmly into his. "Thanks, Ralph," she drawled, her voice low and somewhat raspy. It reminded him of that characteristic raspiness it used to always hold.

"You're welcome, shortstop," he prodded lovingly.

'

About halfway through their walk to the castle, Vanellope and Ralph parted from the other three and they went their separate ways. Rancis, Taffyta, and Candlehead walked off towards the racers' village and Vanellope and Ralph began their trek towards the castle.

As soon as they reached the entrance, she ungracefully unlocked the doors - after dropping and picking up the keys twice - and they piled themselves into the entry room.

"Let's go up to my room," Vanellope yawned. "I'm ready to sleep."

Ralph chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Alrighty," he replied, "Let's get you to bed." He helped her through the kitchen, down the hallway to her wing, and up the stairs towards her bedroom. Upon finally reaching her room, they walked inside and she stumbled towards her bed.

"Wait, wait," he said, grabbing her arm gently. "You've gotta get dressed," he advised with a soft chuckle. "I bet your wet, sandy bathing suit wouldn't be very comfortable to sleep in." She let out a grunt before walking over to her dresser, pulling out some pajamas, and walking into the bathroom, but not before nearly crashing into the door.

He shook his head and looked briefly around the room. A flash of memory reminded him of the last time he had been in there, and he felt his face flush a deep scarlet. He gulped, trying to drive out the images of that morning out of his head.

Meanwhile, Vanellope stumbled around her bathroom, turning the lights on and staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The events of that day all of a sudden seemed to come crashing down on her, and her mind was filled with images of her and Ralph's shared kiss. She watched her cheeks darken and she let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

She hastily changed out of her bathing suit and into her selected pajamas, ran a brush quickly through her long hair to neaten it just a little, and splashed some cold water into her face.

Just a few minutes later, Vanellope came out of her bathroom, seeming a little more put together than before, and slightly less tired. "What about you?" She asked with no context. "What are you going to sleep in?"

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly before shrugging. "This is fine," he responded. "My swimming trunks are dry now anyway and they're pretty similar to normal shorts."

He momentarily took mental note of the cute and comfy looking outfit she was now clothed in. She was wearing a loose fitting gray tank-top with the official Sugar Rush logo written on it in teal and a matching pair of teal shorts that reached about mid-thigh. He tore his eyes forcefully away from her legs and looked up to meet her gaze.

She shrugged and walked over to her bed, climbing towards the pillows and propping them up to lean her back against them. She gathered the soft billowy blankets over her legs and patted the space in her bed next to her for Ralph to join her.

Hesitantly, he climbed slowly onto the bed next to her, somewhat surprised when it didn't creak or bow beneath his weight.

"Don't worry," she assured him with a smile. "These castle beds are pretty sturdy."

He smiled back at her and climbed in beside her, slipping his rather large legs under the blanket. "Wow," he murmured, shaking his head in disbelief, "I never realized until now just how big this bed is. You really are royalty, aren't you?"

She shook her head sleepily and yawned through her words, "No, silly I'm the President." She rested her head against him and smiled. "This is nice. Hey Ralph, could you turn out the light?"

He glanced over to the only lamp that was on, which was located on the end table closest to him. "Don't I need to go find that other room you were talking about?"

"No," she mumbled tiredly. "Stay."

It didn't take any more encouragement than this. He could feel the tiredness finally settling into his weary bones, and thus his resolve was little to nothing. He reached over towards the nightstand and gently flicked the switch on the lamp, quickly flooding the room in darkness.

"Hey, Ralph," Vanellope said, her sweet voice poking out in the darkness.

"Yeah?" he asked, as he subconsciously began to run his fingers through her silky hair.

"Today was amazing...promise me we'll have lots more days like that together?"

He silently grinned, and gently kissed the top of her head. "I promise, Vanellope."

"Good," she whispered, smiling bashfully. "You're my favorite person."

"You're my favorite too, sleepyhead."

"Hey Ralph...we're alone now."

Suddenly, he felt all the blood rush up to his head, and he could feel his heart pound insistently inside of his chest. "Yeah?"

"Well...I think you've behaved." She lifted up her head to look at him, a small mischievous glint in her eyes. "I think you've earned that permission."

"Are you sure that isn't just the tiredness speaking? I don't want to do something you wouldn't be comfortable with when you wake up."

"No," she pressed, sitting up and suddenly more alert. He inhaled sharply as she climbed over his legs and pressed her hands against his chest. Her eyes stared searchingly into his own, and he could see a strange unreadable expression clouding them. "I'm sure," she breathed, her breath mingling with his as their faces drifted merely inches apart.

Without further comment, he pressed his lips carefully yet hungrily into hers. She gasped as his hands slid up to her waist, slipping underneath her tank top and caressing her soft bare skin.

He deepened the open-mouthed kiss, capturing her lower lip between both of his and moving his mouth rhythmically against hers. His whole body heated up intensely. It felt like he was about to have a heatstroke, yet there was no sunlight beating down on him, and each and every one of his pixels seemed to vibrate with a deep desire just ready to burst at the seams.

The two melted together as if their bodies resembled pieces of a puzzle; their codes buzzed with indescribable yearning as his hands ventured curiously across her bare skin. His face heated up as his fingers brushed against her back, and the thoughts inside his head whirred around in a frenzied mass of confusion.

He had never felt anything like this before; he could feel his heart swell inside his chest, as his binary veins exploded into fireworks that pumped throughout his entire body. He could feel his chest grow tighter and tighter with each passing moment, as he carefully held the woman he loved tenderly in his arms.

She felt her code begin to freak out, but tried as hard as she could to keep another glitch from happening, and instead focused on the delicious way it felt to have his strong hands resting easily on her hips. With every movement of his fingers, she felt jolts of electricity shoot up her spine and as he pressed his lips more urgently still against hers, every nerve in her body ached with immense longing.

It was as if their code was crying out to have a taste of the other's binary, and their systems were destined to tangle and mesh into a beautiful system of coded harmony.

They broke apart for air, but he didn't let a single second go to waste. He resumed his previous exploration of her neck, searching for her most sensitive spot as his warm lips hastily trailed a fiery path down her pale skin.

She let out a low moan as he pushed his lips against her collarbone now, parting his lips to let a trace of wetness touch her skin. Smirking against her flesh, he continued to kiss and lightly nibble on this one spot just above her collar.

"R-Ralph," she breathily spoke his name, quietly tremoring as an intense heat swept through her body and caused her to tremble with anticipation and desire.

He pushed another trail of kisses over to the other side of her collar bone, and slowly onward to her shoulder. He began to move them down her shoulder in a slow, teasing pace, looking up through his lashes with a smirk as he watched her breathe heavily and gasp for air.

He suddenly and quickly pushed her down onto her back. She let out a small yelp as he pinned her arms above her head, quickly tucking his mouth down back onto hers.

He slid his tongue delicately between her lips, and let it map out her mouth cautiously. She accepted this new method easily, and joined her tongue with his in a curious inquiry.

She could feel her skin crawling with sharp blue pixels as her code gently wigged out from all the sensory overload being dumped into her head. The hairs on her arms stood up as she glitched slightly for half a second, sending Ralph's red coding into a jumpy array of pixels.

She arched her back up slightly, clinging desperately with her small hands on to the sheets around her. She could feel him moan softly into the kiss, his large fingers sprawling out across her arms and gently rubbing her pale skin.

After a few moments, he slowly pulled away, his chest heaving as he struggled to take in each breath. He smirked down at her, and she stared up at him with wide brown eyes.

"I told you I knew things that could make your head spin," he teased.

She gulped. "Is this you showing me those things?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe," he responded. "It's at least part of it."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "You jerk," she laughed.

He laughed with her. "Maybe." He lowered his face towards hers and slowly gave her lips one more kiss. He pulled away and released her arms from his grip. He used one arm to support himself above her, and used the other hand to trace random shapes softly on the skin of her neck, his touch feather-light.

She breathed in shakily, and closed her eyes. He smiled down at her, running his fingers back and forth across her skin and tracing the shape of her collar bone. His eyes scanned what he could see of her figure that was above the blanket, and he felt the sudden urge and longing to explore more of it with his hands.

 _In due time, Ralph, You shouldn't push her too far. Besides, User knows if you're even ready for more than this. Just enjoy where you're at and don't try to rush into things._

He moved himself from off of her and settled into the bed beside her. She turned easily and snuggled comfortable into his chest.

"Why don't you take your shirt off?" She asked him. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable?"

He felt his cheeks darken slightly and he shrugged. "I normally do sleep with it off," he reluctantly admitted. "I guess it would be more comfy." Slowly he sat up, just enough to slide the t-shirt over his head and toss it lightly over the side of the bed. He slid back down and allowed her to rest her cheek against his chest.

She brought up her hand to rest on top of his stomach, and wrapped one leg delicately across one of his. He smiled, enjoying the comforting feeling of her warmth pressed against his.

She listened to the gentle thrumming of his heartbeat in his chest, and could feel herself already drifted off into sleep. _I think this is the most comfortable I've ever been._ She felt his strong arms come down to wrap around her and suddenly felt more safe and secure than she ever had.

"Goodnight, Ralph," she whispered, feeling content and at peace.

He smiled and shut his eyes, loving the feeling of her warm body tucked into his own. "Goodnight, Vanellope."

"I love you, Stinkbrain."

"I love you too."


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N~**

 **Thank you guys so much for all the support! It brings me so much joy to know that you are reading and enjoying my story. I thought I would take the time to reply to some of your lovely reviews here :)**

 **Ascended95: Thank you very much for all of your kind words; you are so sweet and encouraging! I do try my best to keep the characters true to their personalities, and thank you for being supportive about this. And yes, haha, I agree things did escalate a little quickly during the last chapter ;) our two lovebirds are indeed freshly opening their wings and their love is about to truly take flight. I can't wait to keep developing their relationship, not just in that way though! I also do have big plans for our three other Sugar Rush racers!**

 **Roni: Thank you for returning to my story again, and for giving it another chance! I really have anjoyed your kind reviews here! I have so much more planned for this story than I ever did, and I've been continuously fleshing out more of the plotline in my head. There is certainly much more to come! ;)**

 **Turtuline1: I'm so glad you're still hanging in there with me through all of this! I remember all of the kind reviews you left me when I first started out on this endeavor, and I'm thankful you decided to join me for the ride yet again!**

 **King-of-conmen: I know it's been a couple of chapters since your last review, and I do hope that your are enjoying the events that have been unfolding! ;) There is much more planned for all these characters!**

 **Anyway, I appreciate all of you! This story has been so exciting to progress, and I've got lots of plans and ideas for what is to come!**

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

Bright Sugar Rush sunshine flooded in through the large bay window on the far side of Vanellope's bedroom. Sheer cream colored curtains billowed gracefully in the small breeze that the ceiling fan created in her room.

She shifted groggily in her sleep, before blinking her eyes open to come face to face with none other than her loveable wrecker.

She smiled at him sheepishly as her round hazel eyes immediately met with his. He was already awake and watching her stir out of her slumber. Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink and she lightly barked, "Whatcha lookin' at, Stinkbrain?"

He rolled his eyes and chuffed at her. "So much for having a romantic moment," he teased, returning his narrowed gaze to her face with a smirk.

Giggling softly, she gently shoved her palm against his shoulder. "Hey!" She laughed, before burrowing her head bashfully into his chest. "What time is it?" She wondered aloud.

"It's 8:00," he replied. "We have about an hour until the game day starts." She let out a deep sigh and lovingly stroked the skin on his upper chest.

"I wish we had more time together," she breathed, the skin on her face flushing with heat in the small space between her cheek and his chest.

He nuzzled his chin down into her black hair and closed his eyes, breathing in and out deeply. "Me too, Vanellope." He whispered. "I don't think I've ever felt more relaxed in my life." His arms wrapped tenderly around her middle, pulling her in closer to his body. He smiled into the top of her head and gently caressed her back with one large hand.

She curled her toes in as his touch sent goosebumps crawling up her skin. She let out a small yawn as she relished in the feeling of his sweet touch. She pulled her head up and gazed at him with warmth in her eyes. She smiled, watching curiously as he turned to meet her stare.

Her heart thrummed in her chest, but not in a nervous or overwhelming way. She could feel her code warming her entire body as she savored these moments of affection with the one she loved. It was as if her pixels were humming in a satisfied sense of calm, completely settled and at peace within her. She smiled, closing her eyes as he pressed a small kiss against her forehead.

All seemed still for a few minutes, and she allowed herself to simply lie with him, undisturbed, and soaking in as much affection and love as she could in their brief amount of time.

"I love you," she murmured, her cheeks flushing quickly. "It's like I can't stop saying that."

He chuckled and pressed another kiss into her skin. "I love you too," he responded. "And I love hearing you say that."

"It feels like after all these days of tension ever since the update, we can finally just...be."

He nodded silently in agreement. "I know what you mean. I spent so long resisting everything, but…" He shook his head in bewilderment. "I just couldn't keep it up any longer. There's so much still I feel like I wanna tell you, but I can't seem to put it into words. I've never felt this way about anybody else. It's so indescribable and amazing."

She brought her hands up to rest on his large arms. "I feel the same," she whispered. "There's always been in a place in my heart only you have occupied."

The two sleepy gamers rested for a few minutes in each others' presence, dwelling in the comfort and security of their cozy little nest.

"Well," she finally breathed, pulling away slowly from his grasp. She looked at him reluctantly. "I guess you better get going...we've both gotta get ready for game day."

He nodded, eyes glimmering with disappointment. "You're right," he sighed, before pulling himself up and quickly sliding off of her bed. "Can you toss me my shirt?" He asked, cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she turned to look behind her and grabbed his t-shirt off the ground. She quickly picked it up and tossed it lightly for him to catch. He hastily pulled it down over himself and slid his arms through the sleeves.

"I'm a bit nervous about today," Vanellope admitted, standing up and moseying over to her dresser. She looked into the mirror above it and began brushing lazily through her hair.

"How come?" Ralph asked, turning to look at her with intrigue.

"Well, Azalea is actually on the roster now," she replied, turning to look at him as her eyes glimmered with uncertainty. She finished brushing her hair and let it rest over her shoulder before turning back around and beginning to fish for some racing clothes.

"Why does that make you so nervous?" He asked as he casually meandered over to the bay window seat and sat down on the comfortable cushion, looking out across the sugary kingdom.

"It's just, she seems so reckless," she huffed, yanking some clothes out of her dresser. "I'm worried that she may do something stupid, or…" she trailed off, blushing with embarrassment.

"Or what?" Ralph chuckled, turning to eye her playfully. "Upstage you?"

Her cheeks turned dark scarlet. "What? N-no!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms bashfully over her chest. "Okay, well, m-maybe a little. But it isn't just that!" She quickly defended as he began to chuckle in amusement. "I'm kind of scared that my overly competitive side will come out. And I've promised Taffyta and the other racers I won't use my glitch unless the user chooses me. B-but she's really good, and I'm worried that I'll start to get frustrated and forget about that if she starts beating me or racing dirty. And I don't wanna upset Taffyta. I know it used to really bother her when I used my glitching tactic." She looked down at the floor sheepishly, her shoulders slumped slightly.

Ralph frowned and stood up, walking towards her slowly. He looped an arm around her gently when he reached her, and tilted her chin up to look up at him with his hand. He smiled lovingly down at her. "Whatever happens," he soothed, "I know everything will be okay. Just try your best to stay level-headed...and if you do use your glitching, I'm sure Taffyta won't stay mad at you forever."

She gave him a small smile, though her eyes still glinted with worry. "Thanks Ralph," she croaked. "But you don't know Taffyta. When she gets her mind set on feeling one way, it takes her a long time to come around. And she's not exactly easily offended, but when she is, she gets real fiery."

He chuckled quietly. "I can see that," he admitted, "But I know she sees you as her sister. I'm sure it wouldn't last forever."

She let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding, and nodded gingerly. "You're right," she conceded, "Thank you again."

He smiled down at her. "Of course, Vanellope. Any time. I really should get headed back to my game now though." He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead before lumbering towards her bedroom door.

"See you later, Wreck-It," she teased with a smile.

He turned to look at her and playfully rolled his eyes. "See you, short-stop. I love you."

"I love you too," she responded with a grin, rocking back and forth on the heels of her feet. "Come see me after game day, okay?"

He smiled back at her. "Of course. I've got something to show you."

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Ralph was pulling himself out of the small train car used to ride into Fix It Felix Jr., and began to mosey over to the neighborhood behind the Niceland building. His head was filled with buzzing thoughts of the night before, and as memories of his and Vanellope's first kiss together flooded into his mind, he couldn't contain the smile on his face. He found himself nervously fidgeting with his fingers as a blush slightly darkened the skin of his cheeks.

As he approached the front door of his house, he found himself thinking about the way it felt to hold Vanellope's soft warm body against his, and the feeling of their lips pressed together in a beautiful dance of longing and desire. He remembered the sound of her labored breathing as he timidly explored the smooth skin of her neck, and the soft gentle moans she let out as he pressed his kisses against her.

He felt his body heat up as he inhaled a shaky breath and turned the lock on his door, slowly letting himself in. _By User, if I don't get these thoughts out of my head, I'm going to be useless during game day._

However, when he walked into the living room of his cozy house, he saw the last person he had expected to see sitting comfortably on his couch.

"Welcome home, Ralph," Felix said slowly with a small sly smirk. "I came over to invite you to the Niceland building for breakfast with me and Calhoun...however, it seems you had some kind plans of your own for this morning."

He immediately brought his hand up to sheepishly scratch the back of his head, and quickly averted his gaze. "Uhh...I-" he sighed before shaking his head in bemusement. "You're right," he confided. "I stayed out late last night with Vanellope, Taffyta, and Candlehead. And..." he trailed off, feeling his cheeks flush with color.

"And?" Felix prodded, grinning as he folded his hands impatiently on his lap. "Something tells me there's much more to the story than that. Something kept you from your house last night."

Ralph let out a low groan. "Why does it matter?" He snapped, not wanting to tell Felix exactly what happened between him and his favorite brunette racer.

The short brunette let out a small, amused chuckle. "Aw, come on Ralph," he eased gently. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, I remember the first time me and Calhoun-"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Ralph interrupted, throwing his hands up as his face turned warm. "It was nothing like that, Felix!"

Felix gave him a knowing smile, his face also slightly flushed. "Well," he responded slowly, "I guess that's a good thing, because I would be a little bit concerned y'all were moving too fast." He stood up and placed his hands casually on his hips. "But I do know there is something you aren't telling me."

Ralph let out a frustrated sigh and walked over to join his brother in the living room. He uneasily sat down on one of the sofas, his shoulders squared in awkward tension. "This has got to be the most difficult conversation I've ever had," he grumbled, though he couldn't hold back the small smile growing on his face. "I've never been in this situation before," he added, looking over at his patient friend.

Felix gave him a warm smile. "Ralph," he barked calmly. "Come on now, you can trust me."

The big wrecker let out a long breath of air slowly, trying to relieve the tension he felt in his body as he sat up straighter and took a large gulp. It felt like there was a strange lump settling in his throat. He could feel a mixture of emotions whirling around in his stomach - excitement, surprise, worry, embarrassment, and many other unexplainable feelings. He fiddled with his large fingers silently for a few moments as he contemplated his next choice of words. He felt the couch cushions shift slightly as Felix sat down beside him in quiet anticipation.

"Me and Vanellope had our first kiss," he murmured quietly, his cheeks flaming up in humble nervousness.

"Jimminy jamminy, Ralph!" Felix exclaimed in triumphant excitation, eagerly clapping his friend on the back in a few eager pats of joy. "I'm really happy for you!"

Ralph looked up at him with a hesitant grin. "Really?" He asked, feeling some of the uneasiness he had been feeling begin to fade away. "You really are happy for me? You don't think that what I did was-was wrong?"

"'Why, of course not, Ralph," he replied, his face flickering with confusion. "I know how strongly you feel about Vanellope. It's written all over your face every time you're around each other. Why would I think that it's wrong?"

"Well, it's just…" he trailed off, looking away guiltily as he gradually processed his unrealized insecurities. "It's just that she used to be so...young. I guess I'm just worried that some of the other gamers will look at me weirdly because I used to know her as this little runt."

Felix rested a hand on his shoulder soothingly. "She certainly isn't a runt anymore," he eased. "Don't worry bud, I don't think there's anything wrong about you two being together. It makes me happy to see the two of you so happy. Besides, it's obvious you two are destined for each other."

Ralph looked back at him, smiling hopefully. "You really think so?" He asked, his voice full of uncertainty.

"Of course I do!" He proclaimed in response, flashing him a dazzling grin.

"What about the other gamers in the arcade?" Ralph questioned uneasily. "What if any of them think there's anything wrong with it?"

Felix shook his head slowly. "Nah, I don't think that'll happen," he reassured him. "I highly doubt many of them will really put much thought into the situation. Besides...even if there are a few people who feel negatively about your relationship, their opinions don't really matter, and they don't know the two of you like the rest of your friends do." He took off his hat and spoke in earnest consolation, "I really do think something very beautiful is going to come out of all of this." His blue eyes were wide in honesty. "What you two have is truly amazing, and it really could bind our two little groups together."

Ralph let out a relieved sigh and looked forward with a smile. "I think you're right," he conceded. "I'm really excited for whatever is to come."

* * *

At the start of game day, Vanellope found herself confidently striding towards the huge Sugar Rush stadium, dressed in her racer gear for the day, goggles slinging back and forth in her grasp as she walked. Her sleek black ponytail swung back and forth behind her back as she moved steadily towards the other racers lined up at the starting line Loud cheers erupted from the crowds piled up into the stadium seating, and she beamed widely as she looked out at her candy citizens and waved enthusiastically.

She made it to her cart and ran her hand along its sleek surface. She glanced over at Taffyta and Candlehead and gave them a small smile. Taffyta exchanged a glance with Candlehead before meeting Vanellope's gaze with a smirk and folded her arms knowingly across her chest.

The black-haired racer turned to look for Azalea before spotting her not too far off, leaning casually against her car with her hands slid inside of her pockets. The younger girl gave her an encouraging smile and a thumbs up, and she hesitantly reciprocated both gestures. I'm sure most of the users today will pick her, seeing as she's the newest racer and they'll likely be excited to try her out.

Less than a minute later, the sounds for the quarter alert sounded out through their game cabinet, and she slid carefully slid her goggles over her head and onto her eyes. She made sure her gloves were on securely before sliding into her seat and revving up her engine. The first player did, indeed, choose Azalea, and Vanellope let out a soft sigh of trepidation as she watched her sister's face light up with a confident smirk as she gripped the sides of her steering wheel with determination.

She felt her stomach churn nervously for a few moments, then before she knew it, she was pressing eagerly onto her gas pedal as the race began. Adrenaline shot through her code as she rocketed off away from the starting line. She peered across the road at the other racers as they fought for the front of the group.

The familiar feeling of excitement for the race began to fill her veins, pumping through her body like the very pixels that caused her binary to work together and allowed her body to function. She leaned herself forward towards the steering wheel, grinning widely as a bright sense of joy seeped through her skin.

Every time she raced on these tracks, she felt like her heart was being filled more and more - as if racing itself was a crucial component of her code. It pulsed through her and filled her mind with a renewed sense of purpose and vitality.

She shifted her car into a higher gear and shot off away from the rest of the racers, quickly pulling into the lead. However, not long after, she watched as Azalea's car rocketed past, and she felt her competitive nature began to surface as her heart pulsed and throbbed in anticipation. Gritting her teeth, she pushed the gas down even harder, struggling to gain way on her sister as they rounded a tight curve, rolling at top speeds over the chocolate coated race track.

She soared across the track, her hair flying wildly behind her like a banner as all the racers crossed over a raised bridge. The circuits in her binary seemed to buzz with electricity, brimming with excitement and competitive yearning as she struggled to pull up beside the race car of her green-haired sister. She hadn't faced a challenge this difficult since the time she had raced against King Candy. Her small hands gripped the steering wheel tighter and she felt the blood roaring in her ears.

The track took them swiftly through rolling Sugar Rush hills of bright candy-coated surfaces, and visions of honeysuckles and an assortment of lovely cotton candy trees rushed past her peripherals as the race moved onward and passed underneath the shaded path of an orchard. A rainbow of colors passed by her car as she pressed it forth, zooming with intense ferocity across the gorgeous countryside.

Her mind whirred with frenzied thoughts as she zoomed after Azalea, her circuitry alive with fiery glee. The Sugar Rush racers were soon gliding through a tunnel, and she pulled further and further ahead of the rest of them as they began launching power ups and obstacles at each other.

She turned momentarily to glance behind her. She thought she saw Taffyta launch a bout of sweet seekers towards the rear of the group. A few of the fiery cinammon flavored candies launched forth from her cart and smacked into the backs of her competitors. She only looked long enough to see Gloyd and Adorabeezle's carts spin out and careen off towards the sides of the road. She gulped and turned her head, edging onward in hopes of avoiding this infamous power up.

With each passing moment she grew closer to Azalea, and as they followed the twists and turns of the darkened avenue, she cranked her car into the next gear and her engine roared loudly as she careened closer and closer to the coveted first place.

In a matter of an instant, just as she pulled up beside Azalea's gleaming white car, her competitor glitched sideways, knocking just barely against her vehicle.

She felt herself begin to spin out, and felt as if time was beginning to slow down and her vehicle spun in circles across the track and towards the tunnel wall. Barely thinking, she glitched herself quickly back into position on the track and carefully steadied her car straight and raced on towards her sister.

However, while she tried to regain her speed once more, she watched as a familiar blonde haired racer sped past, careening quickly towards Azalea. She bit her lip and pressed on, urging her car to move quickly towards the finish line.

A couple other racers were also coming in close behind her, and she slammed her fist on the dashboard in frustration, muttering quietly under her breath. She took in a deep breath as she continued to race down the familiar Sugar Rush race track.

A small voice in the back of her head whispered to her, _use your glitch_ , but she quickly pushed it back out of her mind, knowing that if she followed through on this temptation, she would be facing the wrath of Taffyta later. Still, it kept resurfacing, as she shot out of the tunnel and barreled down the race track. She could see both Taffyta and Azalea a long ways ahead, and inwardly cursed herself.

She could feel a deep pit of frustration well up in her stomach, and her competitive code seemed to almost cry out in agony. Her binary was itching desperately for some redemption - for victory over her competition. She could just taste the sweet feeling of victory that was now beyond her reach. She shifted her car into its highest gear and pushed her foot against the gas as hard as she possibly could.

She slowly seemed to inch towards the other two racers, but still, she wasn't close enough. With a final hurried though of determination, she glitched herself a few feet further, her bold turquoise pixels buzzing forward in a twitchy glob of binary. Again and again, she continued to glitch herself further and further down the track, urged on by a sense of desperation as she watched her competitors grow closer and closer.

After a few minutes, she came up right behind Taffyta, and she could see the mark of the finish line not too far ahead. She glitched herself without thinking right beside the blonde racer, and she could see the wide eyed look of mingled shock and disappointment on her best friend's face before she registered the anger that quickly forced itself into their place. She turned to see her blue eyes glint with a familiar ferocity she had seen many times before.

Nevertheless, as she pushed her car further, she just barely pulled herself ahead in time to careen into second place.

The three racers jumped out of the car and gave their signature victory poses as they showed off for the user who was witnessing the brief award ceremony. The rest of the racers pulled in across the finish line before parking their cars and watching breathlessly as the three of them beamed in their triumphant glory.

However, as soon as their display was over, Vanellope whirled around to find a furious messy-haired blonde jabbing her finger right into her collarbone. "You!" She steamed, gritting her teeth in rage. "How could you! You promised me you wouldn't glitch if the user didn't choose you! That move was so unfair!"

Vanellope eyed her sheepishly as she felt her face flush with guilt. "Taff, I-I'm sor-"

The irate blonde cut her off fussily. "No," she said, her tone sharp, "I'm done talking with you now." She folded her arms over her chest and eyed her warily, her blue eyes glinting with hurt. "I'll deal with you later." She turned away, shooting one last icy glare over her shoulder before stalking off irately towards her race car.

Vanellope sighed, slumping her shoulders and watching sadly as her friend strode angrily away. She shook her head, suddenly feeling a heavy weight of disappointment settle over her like a fog. She folded her hands bashfully in front of her and looked down at the dirt. She shuffled her feet around for a few moments before looking around for her sister. Surprisingly, Azalea was nowhere to be found, so she looked back towards the carts and noticed the new racer already standing on the outside of her cart.

Rolling her eyes, she walked hastily toward her own vehicle, ready to move it back in its position at the starting line. _I knew today was going to have a rough start. Maybe Ralph's right, and maybe I do have trouble letting someone else shine in the spotlight._ She took in a shaky breath as she carefully pulled her car back into its spot and shut it off. She scratched the back of her head and stared off into the distance. _This whole sister thing is gonna take some getting used to._

She felt her code steam as she glared over at her new competitor, who was chatting easily with Taffyta and Candlehead a few feet away at her car. She reckoned the two others were congratulating her on her first victory. _She's so cocky_ , Vanellope thought as she narrowed her eyes at the bright eyed girl. _I suppose I shouldn't be so hard on her. I know how exciting it is to have your first win...and she is really skilled on the race track._

She closed her eyes and slumped forward onto the steering wheel, her head resting tiredly into her arms. _I'm already ready for this game day to be over so I can just get out of here and see Ralph._

She opened one eye and looked curiously over at the three racers, who were still gathered around and talking.

 _Maybe I should go and congratulate her. I need to get over myself anyway._

With a sigh of reluctance, she stood up and climbed out of her vehicle, before turning and walking somewhat shyly over to where Azalea and her friends stood. The conversation went silent as she drew near, and she laced her fingers bashfully in front of her before pulling her goggles off of her head and casually wiping the dust off of the lenses with her shirt. She looked pointedly at her coded sister and gave her a small smile.

"Congrats on your first win," she told her sweetly. "I'll be honest, it's taking a lot out of me and my competitive self to not be all up in a tissy about coming in second, but I'm glad you're here. I need to learn to be more humble anyway." She eyed Azalea cautiously as she waited for her response.

"Thanks, Vanellope," she responded, placing her gloved hands on her hips. "That means a lot to me coming from you. From what I've heard, you're my number one competitor on the tracks."

Vanellope rolled her eyes and felt heat creep into her cheeks before scuffling her feet in the dirt subconsciously. "Well, I may be the president but," she gestured out towards the other racers, namely thinking about Taffyta and Candlehead, "All of these guys deserve some recognition. They work their tails off and really they're probably just as good as I am."

She looked over at Taffyta, giving her a small hopeful smile. "I'm sorry for earlier," she breathed, also glancing at Candlehead, who was staring at her with a knowing glint in her eyes. "I'm sorry I used my glitching power when I know I shouldn't have. Sometimes the competition of it all gets the better of me, and I forget what's really important."

Taffyta rolled her eyes playfully and gave her an annoyed smirk, crossing her arms firmly over he chest. "Yeah, well," she huffed. "Apology accepted. You're still gonna have to make it up to me though," she teased.

Vanellope rolled her eyes back and grinned, pulling the blonde into a jesting side hug. "Yeah right," she chuffed lightly back. "You know you love me."

The two girls laughed softly at each other, as Candlehead watched on in amusement. A few seconds later, the next quarter alert rang out across their game, and the three friends exchanged sly looks.

Unsurprisingly, this user also chose Azalea.

"This time it'll be a fair competition," Vanellope said with a small smirk. She also glanced at Azalea. "Looks like you're gonna be working your tail off today," she lightly joked.

She looked back at Taffyta and Candlehead with a raised eyebrow and they both smirked back at her.

"Let's see who pulls ahead this time," Candlehead challenged, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Taffyta chuckled and shook her head before sliding her own goggles down over her eyes. "Game on."


	21. Chapter 20

**A/N~**

 **Hey guys! I'm sorry it's taken me a while to get this new chapter uploaded. I didn't work on it for a while, so I didn't end up getting it done until tonight. I'll try to keep to my more regular schedule in the future! Anyways, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

As the Sugar Rush racers finished up the roster race and gathered around their carts at the finish line, Vanellope hastily dusted off the chocolate crumbs and candy pieces from her clothing and eagerly trotted over to her friends. Rancis, Candlehead, Taffyta, and Azalea all stood in a tightly knit circle, chatting softly as they rested from the days racing.

She slipped her goggles off of her head and wiped the lenses, tucking herself into the midsts of the other four racers and grinning broadly.

"Hey Van," Candlehead greeted with a small wave. She had a shy smile on her face, although her eyes glinted with uncertainty. Taffyta looked at her hesitantly, her arms crossed over her chest. She could see the hurt still flickering in her gaze, and knew she would need to put in a lot of effort later to repair what was injured in their friendship.

Rancis also seemed a little bit bothered, though his expression spoke more so of patient questioning, rather than anger or sorrow. Azalea simply leaned against her cart, looking between the group in a bemused way. She tucked a strand of pale green hair behind her ear and looked down at the dirt.

"A few of us were talking about maybe hanging out after game day," Candlehead continued. "We wanted to know if you wanted to come with us. Maybe we could hang out at the castle or something."

"Sorry guys," Vanellope responded sheepishly. "I've actually got plans with Ralph already. He's gonna pick me up from our game." Her eyes seemed to suddenly brighten. "He said he has something to show me," she remembered aloud. "I've actually gotta hurry up and get ready, so I better go!" She was already starting to run backwards away from them, an open mouthed grin stretching across her face. "Catchya guys later!"

She turned around and ran off towards her cart, while the four other racers left behind looked at each other in amusement. Taffyta sighed and rolled her eyes. "It seems like it's been ages since she hung out with us," she complained, looking at Candlehead.

The emerald haired racer crossed her arms and frowned. "I know," she conceded. "Just give her some time. Her and Ralph's new relationship is just starting to blossom. And they seem so happy together."

This seemed to help Taffyta to perk up. "That's right!" She proclaimed. "I completely forgot to ask her about last night!" She face palmed with a groan and exchanged looks with Candlehead and Rancis. A sly smirk began to fill her cheeks. "I wonder what those two lovebirds got up to exactly while they were lost."

"Lost?" Azalea chimed in, green eyes brimming with curiosity. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Well," Rancis piped up, eagerly looking at Taffyta with a smile. "Yesterday when we went to EZ Living, we came up with a plan to get them alone; the two have been giving each other goo-goo eyes for too long now. We decided they needed a little push. So we managed to get them lost together in the jungles and left them there a couple of hours. By the time I found them, they looked pretty cozy to me."

Candlehead chuckled and shared a knowing look with Taffyta, who simply shook her head with a smirk. "We need to have a girls' night soon, so we can get all those details out of her," the blonde racer decided.

"Hey!" Rancis protested with a laugh, throwing his hands up jokingly. "What about me? Am I just chopped liver now?"

"Don't worry," she teased, patting his arms with her hand. "We'll make sure to fill you in afterwards."

"Fine, fine," He conceded with a smirk as he crossed his arms playfully. "But you better make sure you don't forget."

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain brunette racer was pulling her car into the castle's garage. She quickly shifted it into park and hefted herself out of the vehicle. Practically glowing with excitement, she sprinted out of the garage and up the small set of stairs leading inside.

She hurriedly zoomed through the halls and into her wing before climbing quickly up the staircase into her bedroom. She dug quickly through her dresser for some clean comfortable clothes and practically leapt into the shower in her bathroom. She only washed for about ten minutes before she stepped out and brushed and dried her hair.

After not too long, she was dressed in a comfortable pair of mint green leggings and a long flowy cream colored tank top. She pulled her silky black hair into a low ponytail before sliding into an unzipped green hoodie and slipping on some sneakers. As soon as she finished, she hurried out the door and down into her living room.

 _I'm sure Ralph'll be here any minute._

She lounged comfortably on one of the long sofas, her legs pulled up in front of her. She looked around herself and gazed at the empty, colorful room. Large glass doors led outside to a gorgeous patio, which was beautifully decorated with flowers and other Sugar Rush greenery. There was also a decent sized pool, and she could just barely see its bright blue waters sparkling and dancing in the sunlight. She smiled as she gazed outside. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, and it cast its orange and pink rays over all of her beautiful kingdom.

 _I can't believe it's all mine._

She stood up from the couch and wandered slowly over to the doors, pressing her hands up against them and staring outside. She smiled as she gazed at the patio, before slowly reaching for the handle and pulling the door timidly open. She then stepped out onto the concrete and took a few steps forward.

Beyond the patio, there was a large, sprawling lawn. The ground was made of pretty swirls of different flavored pastry dough; across the whole yard spanned patterns of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry sections. There were a few candy cane trees dotted at the edges of the yard, along with some cotton candy bushes and bright lollipop flowers

She breathed in a deep breath and closed her eyes, happily sighing her held breath back out and stuck her small hands into her jacket pockets. With a grunt of mild frustration, she leant down and pulled off her sneakers before tossing them away behind her. She sunk her toes into the soft, pliable ground, rocking idly back and forth back on her heels.

"Hey!" She heard a male voice softly proclaim behind her. "Watch it there!" She whirled around on her feet and beamed when she came face to face with the owner of her favorite gap-toothed smile. She looked up at her loveable wrecker, who grinned playfully down at her with his hands on his hips. She glanced down to see her sneakers lying crookedly at his large feet.

She felt a faint blush sprawl across her cheeks and looked up at him bashfully. "Sorry 'bout that, Ralph," she teased gently, averting her eyes as she could feel her heart flutter enthusiastically in her chest. Never before had the sight of her dear best friend invoked such feelings of shy and bewildered excitement in her code. She could feel her palms begin to sweat slightly as she stared at her toes sheepishly. She could hear her heart beat louder and louder, booming inside her head as a sudden swell of nervousness.

"Hey," he eased softly, stepping forward and gently tilting her chin up with one finger. He tenderly pulled her face up to look into his eyes and she finally accepted his stare. Her wide hazel eyes glimmered innocently up at him. Inside, a stirring of dewy longing seemed to beckon him in closer; he smiled down at her slowly. "Is something wrong?" he asked, his eyes full of kindness.

She smiled shyly back. "N-no," she assured him. "Nothing's wrong. It's just-I-I…" she trailed off, then bit her lip before glancing away. "I don't know," she suddenly blurted. "It's just s-so hard, trying to wrap my code around all these...these confusing feelings."

He let out a breathy chuckle before smoothly sliding his finger out from under her chin and pulling her gently into a tender hug. She eagerly wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pull her up into his warm chest. "It's okay," he murmured into her ear. "Believe it or not, it's a lot for me to adjust to too."

She pulled herself back enough to look into his eyes. "I-Is it okay if we just maybe take things a little slower from now on?" She asked nervously, gazing searchingly into his brown eyes.

He let out a quiet sigh. "Of course, Vanny," he assured her, sweetly brushing his fingers across her face. "I'm sorry that things got so...out of hand last night. I didn't mean to rush you into anything. I...I guess my emotions sort of got the better of me, and…" he trailed off, his cheeks starting to flush with color. "I guess thirty years of being alone might do that to a guy. And you know me, most of my feelings are pretty, uh...dramatic."

She let out a soft girly giggle and shook her head quickly. "No, Ralphie," she teased, her voice sincere. "Don't worry, it isn't your fault. Besides," she sheepishly fiddled with the collar of his shirt. "I'm the one who kind of egged it on to begin with."

He rolled his eyes and smiled back at her. "That's okay," he breathed. "But I do agree we should take things a little slower. How about this," he paused and took in a nervous breath. "Let's go on a real date. Just you and me. That is, i-if you'll have me."

"Of course I will," Stinkbrain," she replied, leaning her face against his chest with a satisfied smile. She closed her eyes and breathed in his familiar scent. He smelled of bricks, wood, and also a little bit like grass. She loved the feeling of his warm arms around her, and the way his scent seemed to surround her whole body. He pressed a gently kiss into the top of her head and rubbed his hands up and down her back.

For a few minutes, they stood silently in this position, soaking in the presence of one another and the warm light of the setting sun.

"Come on," he said, finally breaking the silence. They pulled apart and she looked up at him questioningly. "I've still got things to show you," he said with a grin.

* * *

Not long after, the two found themselves strolling through a lively Game Central Station. Gamers from all over the arcade were casually milling about, chatting and filling the air with the buzz of happy conversation.

"Soooo," Vanellope pestered, clasping her hands behind her back and gazing up at Ralph in curiosity. " _Where_ exactly are we going?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "I'm not telling you yet," he barked, a playful smirk lit up his features. "Guess you'll just have to wait and see."

"Raaaaalllpphhh," she drawled, playfully complaining. She gently swatted at his arm with an exaggerated pout. He laughed down at her as she gave him a dramatic stink-eye. "No fair."

"Oookay," he said suddenly, stopping and holding his arm out to halt her as well. "Time to cover your eyes. Don't want you figuring out what game we're about to waltz into."

She let out a soft sight of defeat before reluctantly succumbing and allowing him to very gently place one large hand over her bright hazel eyes. He began to carefully lead her towards the outlet of Hero's Duty, a knowing smirk lighting up on his face. He guided her with his other hand, placing it on her back and proceeding towards the outlet. They passed through without alerting Surge, _thank User,_ and came upon the shiny, sleek black monorail.

Without a moment's hesitation, he lifted her up into the air, one arm sliding under her legs whilst keeping his other hand trained loosely over her face. She let out a surprised giggle as he lifted her into the air and beamed broadly. He stepped up onto the monorail with her carefully perched in his arm and quickly found a seat for them to sit down in.

"Okay," he told her, "We're on the monorail, about to head off."

"Well, then can I see now?" She asked, her voice somewhat whiny.

"Nope," he responded, beaming open-mouthed and clutching her more closely to his body. He lovingly tucked her up against his chest and pressed a small kiss against her forehead. He could see her mouth twist upwards into a timid smile.

"I really like it when you do that," she admitted, her voice soft and uncertain.

He grinned even wider, amused by her bashful openness, and humbly flattered. It used to be a rare sight to see his feisty little racer so shy and soft spoken, but it had become more of a common occurence the past few days. It felt intensely gratifying and honoring to be able to step into her small bubble of trust. He felt like her walls were coming down more and more, in totally unexpected ways. He loved seeing this new side of her, and he felt a sudden surge of longing to keep her safe and loved inside his care.

He pressed another, even softer kiss against her skin, this time leaving his lips pressed there lightly. "I really like you," he murmured, "And I really like when you're so open with me."

She felt her face burn darker, and brought her hands up to cling onto his orange polo. "Thank you," she whispered. She felt her code budge and twitch uncomfortably just beneath her skin, and glitched slightly in place. She could feel a large amount of tension knot up in her stomach. The underlying fear and insecurity of being rejected was rearing its ugly head deep down inside her, but she mustered all of her willpower to push it back down in its place. It felt so weird to let herself feel so vulnerable and pour out her thoughts so easily, yet at the same time it felt subtly natural when in the arms of her strong wrecker.

She leaned her head down against his shoulder and allowed herself to sink into his body. She let out a long breath, feeling the tension begin to unknot and release as she simply let herself be comfortable in his presence.

Soon, the sleek black monorail eased its way into the station of Hero's Duty. Ralph lovingly scooped Vanellope closer to his chest and kept his hand gently rested over her eyes. He carefully tread his way down the steps of the train and began to make his way to the entrance. He came upon Calhoun, who was standing in front of the gigantic mechanical doors which opened up to the area which, during Game Day, was crawling with hideous, dangerous cybugs.

The short-haired blonde crossed her arms as Ralph stopped in front of her and gave him a small, bemused smirk. "You're lucky Felix got me to agree to this, Wreck-It," she barked, before sighing and pressing the button on her remote which opened up the doors.

"Calhoun?" Vanellope asked, wriggling slightly in Ralph's grip as she curiously tried to peer between his fingers.

"You've got two hours," Calhoun stated. Ralph looked around her to see one of the shiny escape pods sitting in wait just outside the doors. "And don't forget what I taught you. One scratch on that thing, and you're done," she huffed, though her voice held a hint of friendly teasing.

He flashed her a big, toothy grin and gave her a thumbs up. "Don't worry, Calhoun, I'll take extra care of it. And thank you." She rolled her eyes and gave him a small smile before he eagerly bounded through the doors and inside. He turned around to watch the large doors slowly shut behind them.

"Raaallpphh," Vanellope complained, continuously growing restless in his arms. "Can I finally come down now? I think I've waited long enough."

He chuckled before gently removing his hand from her face and setting her down on her feet.

"Woah," she gasped, staring around her in wonder at the dark, dreary environment. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before, and certainly was vastly different from any of the locations inside Sugar Rush. "Where are we?" She asked, looking up at Ralph with barely concealed excitement.

He gave her a gap-toothed grin and met her gaze bashfully. "Welcome to Hero's Duty, Van."

" _This_ is Hero's Duty?" She asked, somewhat incredulously, as she furrowed her brow. She continued to gaze around them. Everything surrounding them was dark, cold, and foreboding. "This is where Calhoun _lives?"_

Ralph let out a loud snort. "Yep, it sure is. What kind of place did you expect those awful cybugs to come from?"

"I-I don't know," she stammered, her gaze mystified as she looked around the dark and gloomy place. "I guess this place is pretty fitting." She looked back at him and smiled."Thanks for taking me," she said, her voice soft. A pale rosy flush filled her cheeks as she took in the fact that the two of them were finally completely alone.

He drew in closer to her and tenderly wrapped his large hands around her small ones. She rested them on top of his, her fingers and palms dwarfed when pressed against his own. She gave him a goofy, open-mouthed smile, her dewy hazel eyes gleaming up at him with girly glee. He smiled back down at her. "You're welcome," he responded, his brown eyes glued into her hazel depths.

After a few moments, he gestured out at the large aerial vehicle parked not far from them. "Calhoun's letting me take you out for a spin on this thing," he told her. "Though, to be honest, I'm not that spectacular at driving it." He sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

She smirked up at him and looked over at the powerful looking escape pod. It appeared to be larger than the small one seater Ralph had crashed himself in back in Sugar Rush all that time ago. It seemed like it could comfortably sit both her and Ralph.

"Well," she started, her voice sly, "You could always let _me_ drive it. After all," her eyes sparkled with mischief, "Driving is in my code."

He smirked and rolled his eyes, though they were filled with uncertainty. "I don't know, Van," he chuckled slowly. "If Calhoun knew I let you drive it, without her showing you how, I'm sure she wouldn't be too happy."

"Oh, come on, Ralph," she whined, grinning eagerly as she clutched his hands. "Noone has to find out. Besides, you can show me how, right?"

He let out a deep sigh before staring reluctantly over at the waiting vehicle. "Ooookay," he spoke reluctantly, though before the word was completely out of his mouth, she turned and pelted over the to driver's side door, practically launching herself inside. "Hey!" He called, laughing softly before shaking his head and moseying over to the other side. "Slow down there, you don't even have the key!"

He hurriedly climbed in, shutting the passenger door closed behind him as he nervously buckled himself in. He watched as she quickly strapped her own seatbelt down and held her hand out for the key. He sighed and carefully placed it in her palm. She carefully slid it into the ignition and turned, turning the engine over until the large, intimidating vehicle roared powerfully to life. She could feel the thrum of its code beneath her, and it made her own blue binary buzz with eager ferocity. She smirked, and gripped the steering controls securely in her confident hands.

She felt as if the circuitry rooted deep inside her and the plane she was about to drive were beginning to connect and combine, tangling themselves together in a delightful whir of companionable code. She felt herself become one with the rumbling automobile, and before Ralph could even give her any instructions, she felt the coded racer within her fully rise to the surface as instinct began to take over. She thrust the vehicle into drive and they slowly began to ascend from the ground.

"Whoa!" Ralph exclaimed, clutching onto the side of the door beside him and feeling his face flush with amazement. "How did you just know what to do like that?!"

She shrugged and let a broad grin float across her features. "I dunno," she said, "I guess my code just kinda took over." She began to propel them forward, and before they knew it, they were soaring across the dark threatening skies of Hero's Duty.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Sugar Rush, a few of the racers were gathered inside Candlehead's small, cozy home. They were all sitting in her living room, which was decorated in lively shades of pink and turquoise, except for a certain two blonde-haired racers, who were both standing in the kitchen.

Taffyta and Rancis were both seated at the counter, full mugs of coffee set down in front of them. Taffyta picked hers up, clutching it tightly in her hands, and sipped delicately from the smooth, frothy liquid. Unbeknownst to her, Rancis was eyeing her curiously as she drank. She turned to look at him, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks as she set the coffee back down. "W-What is it?" She asked, frowning back at him as he smiled at her. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No," he sighed, rolling his eyes and letting out a small chuckle. "Hey," he started slowly, "Do you wanna get out of here?"

"What?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Do you wanna go hang out somewhere?" He prodded, "Just you and me?"

Her face heated up even darker. "And where exactly would we go?" She teased, her tone somewhat sassy. She placed a hand on her hip as her blues eyes glinted with girly eagerness.

"I was thinking we could go to your favorite spot," he responded, "You know, the ledge overlooking the chocolate lake, down past the castle, where you can watch the sunset?"

She smiled disbelievingly back at him. "You remember," she stated, her voice suddenly soft and warm.

"Of course," he scoffed, "What kind of a friend do you think I am?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed her hand against his shoulder. "Alright, come on," she conceded, "Let's go."


End file.
